AdverbsHSK 5
Expressing "in the end" with 到底
Use 到底 to express "after all" when pointing out a reason or inherent characteristic that makes a situation unsurprising. Avoid confusing this with the 到底 that means "on earth" in questions.
Structure
到底 + (是) + [Characteristic]，[Outcome]
States the inherent reason or characteristic that explains the following outcome.
Examples
- 到底是个大老板，出手就是大方。Dàodǐ shì ge dà lǎobǎn, chūshǒu jiùshì dàfang.Look how generous he is with money. He is a high-level boss, after all....
- 到底是个高手，这么快就把问题解决了！Dàodǐ shì ge gāoshǒu, zhème kuài jiù bǎ wèntí jiějué le!He is a master, after all. Look how quickly he solved the problem.
- 到底还是孩子，有些事情他不懂是很正常的。Dàodǐ háishì háizi, yǒuxiē shìqing tā bù dǒng shì hěn zhèngcháng de.He is a kid, after all. It's normal for him to not understand some things.