HSK 4 grammar · new HSK syllabus
竟然, 到底, 难道: surprise and emphasis
竟然 = surprisingly; 到底 = (in questions) on earth; 难道…吗？ = surely not…?
Structure
- Subject + 竟然 + verb
- 到底 + question
- 难道 + statement + 吗？
How it works
竟然 shows surprise that something happened: 他竟然忘了自己的生日.
到底 in a question presses for an answer: 你到底去不去？ = are you going or not?
难道…吗？ is a rhetorical question showing disbelief: 难道你不知道吗？ = surely you know?
Examples
-
这么简单的题，他竟然做错了。
Zhème jiǎndān de tí, tā jìngrán zuò cuò le.
He got such an easy question wrong!
-
你到底想去哪儿？
Nǐ dàodǐ xiǎng qù nǎr?
Where exactly do you want to go?
-
难道你不认识他吗？
Nándào nǐ bú rènshi tā ma?
Don’t tell me you don’t know him?
-
他竟然一个人去了西藏。
Tā jìngrán yí gè rén qù le xī cáng.
He actually went to Tibet on his own.
-
这件事到底是谁做的？
Zhè jiàn shì dàodǐ shì shéi zuò de?
Who on earth did this?
Words in these examples (28)
| 这么 | zhème | so; this (much) | HSK 2 |
| 简单 | jiǎndān | simple | HSK 3 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 题 | tí | question (on a test) | HSK 2 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 竟然 | jìngrán | unexpectedly; to one's surprise | HSK 4 |
| 做 | zuò | to do; to make | HSK 1 |
| 错 | cuò | wrong; mistake | HSK 2 |
| 了 | le | (particle marking a completed action or a change) | HSK 1 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 到底 | dàodǐ | in the end; (in questions) after all | HSK 4 |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want to; to think; to miss | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where | HSK 1 |
| 难道 | nándào | (in rhetorical questions) do you mean to say…? | HSK 4 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 认识 | rènshi | to know (someone); to recognize | HSK 1 |
| 吗 | ma | (question particle for yes/no questions) | HSK 1 |
| 一 | yī | one | HSK 1 |
| 个 | gè | (general measure word) | HSK 1 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 西 | xī | west | HSK 3 |
| 藏 | cáng | to conceal; to hide away; to harbor | HSK 5 |
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes, matters, items) | HSK 1 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 是 | shì | to be (am, is, are); yes | HSK 1 |
| 谁 | shéi/shuí | who | HSK 1 |
Common mistakes
-
✗你到底去吗？
✓你到底去不去？
到底 goes with question words or A不A, not 吗.
-
✗难道你不知道。
✓难道你不知道吗？
难道 questions end in 吗.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 他学了一个月， 能说这么好！
2. 你 想要哪一个？
3. 你忘了今天是我的生日吗？