到底

Chinese

Pronunciation

Adverb

到底

1. actually; exactly; are or are not

   到底出什麼事了？ [MSC, trad.]
   到底出什么事了？ [MSC, simp.]

   Dàodǐ chū shénme shì le?

   What happened?

   你到底愛不愛我？ [MSC, trad.]
   你到底爱不爱我？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ dàodǐ ài bù ài wǒ?

   Do you love me or not?

   我想看看真正的中國到底是個什麼樣子。 [MSC, trad.]
   我想看看真正的中国到底是个什么样子。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ xiǎng kànkàn zhēnzhèng de Zhōngguó dàodǐ shì ge shénme yàngzǐ.

   I want to see what the real China is like.

2. after all; in the end; all in all
3. finally; in the end; when all is said and done

   離異家庭到底還是會影響到孩子。 [MSC, trad.]
   离异家庭到底还是会影响到孩子。 [MSC, simp.]

   Líyì jiātíng dàodǐ háishì huì yǐngxiǎng dào háizi.

   Children from divorced families will be affected in the end.

4. until the end; to the finish; until something is done

   既然已經幫助他了，就索性幫到底。 [MSC, trad.]
   既然已经帮助他了，就索性帮到底。 [MSC, simp.]

   Jìrán yǐjīng bāngzhù tā le, jiù suǒxìng bāng dàodǐ.

   Since we've already helped him out, we might as well help until the job is done.

   • 我們將和所有願意抗日到底的階級、階層、政黨、政團以及個人，堅持統一戰線，實行長期合作。 [MSC, trad.]
     我们将和所有愿意抗日到底的阶级、阶层、政党、政团以及个人，坚持统一战线，实行长期合作。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1940, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《新民主主義論》 (On New Democracy), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Wǒmen jiāng hé suǒyǒu yuànyì kàngrì dàodǐ de jiējí, jiēcéng, zhèngdǎng, zhèngtuán yǐjí gèrén, jiānchí tǒngyī zhànxiàn, shíxíng chángqī hézuò.

     We shall persevere in the united front and practice long-term co-operation with all those classes, strata, political parties and groups and individuals that are willing to fight Japan to the end.

Synonyms

• (actually): 究竟 (jiūjìng)
• (after all):

• (finally):

Derived terms

References

• (Min Nan) “Entry #3641”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) とーてー (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Adverb

到(とう)底(てい) • (tōtei) 

1. absolutely, (with negative verb) possibly (as in "couldn't possibly"), utterly
   • 1908, 夏目漱石(なつめそうせき) [Natsume Sōseki], 夢十夜(ゆめじゅうや) (Yume jūya)‎:

     とうてい死(し)にそうには見(み)えない。

     Tōtei shinisō ni wa mienai.

     It didn't appear possible that was about to die.

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.