到底
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 4
到底 (dàodǐ) · on earth (in questions)
到底 (dàodǐ) means “on earth (in questions); after all; to the end”. It is written with 2 characters: 到 (to arrive) + 底 (bottom). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 到底 is built
The characters
到 dào · to arrive
What 到 is made of
- 至zhì — reach
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 厶sī — private
- 土tǔ — earth
- 十 — ten
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 刂dāo — knife
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 亅 — hook
Origin hint: 至 gives the meaning, 刂 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
底 dǐ · bottom
What 底 is made of
- 广guǎng — broad
- 丶 — dot
- 厂chǎng — "cliff" in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 27)
- 氐dī — the name of an ancient tribe
- 氏shì — clan
- 丶 — dot
Origin hint: 广 gives the meaning, 氐 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
你到底去不去？Nǐ dàodǐ qù bù qù?Are you going or not, in the end?
我们要坚持到底。Wǒmen yào jiānchí dàodǐ.We must keep going to the end.
Questions about 到底
What does 到底 mean?
到底 (dàodǐ) means “on earth (in questions); after all; to the end”.
How do you pronounce 到底?
到底 is pronounced dàodǐ.
Which HSK level is 到底?
到底 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 得到dédàoto get
- 回到huídàoto return to
- 看到kàndàoto see
- 来到láidàoto come to
- 听到tīngdàoto hear
- 找到zhǎodàoto find
- 到处dàochùeverywhere
- 等到děngdàoto wait until
- 感到gǎndàoto feel
- 见到jiàndàoto see
Learn 到底 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 46: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.