adverb / noun HSK 5
actually · exactly · after all · in the end · outcome
Meaning
究竟 primarily functions as an adverb meaning 'actually' or 'exactly,' used to probe for the real truth or emphasize a question about what truly happened. It can also be used as a noun meaning 'outcome' or 'the bottom of things,' though this usage is less common in modern speech.
Usage
Most commonly appears in questions to intensify inquiry (究竟是什么?). Can also appear in statements to mean 'after all' or 'in the final analysis.' The tone is often one of seeking clarity or emphasizing that something should be determined definitively. Slightly formal or emphatic compared to neutral question words.
Examples
- 01你究竟想要什么??What exactly do you want?
- 02他究竟还是来了。.He came after all.
Characters
Common collocations
- 究竟是什么what exactly is it
- 究竟怎么回事what exactly is going on
- 究竟为什么why exactly
Origin
Combines 究 (to investigate thoroughly) and 竟 (to reach the end), creating the sense of 'investigating to the very end' or 'getting to the bottom of things.'