究竟 - Expressing "in the end"

HSK 4

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone is so curious or perplexed by your actions that they ask, "What on earth are you doing?" In Mandarin, the word "究竟 (jiūjìng)" is often used to add intensity to such questions. For example, if someone asks, "你究竟在干什么？" (What on earth are you doing?), they are using "究竟" to express a strong desire to understand your actions.

This word is somewhat similar to "到底 (dàodǐ)," which also adds emphasis, but "究竟" tends to be a bit more formal. You might hear it in situations where someone is not just curious, but perhaps also a little frustrated or eager to get to the bottom of things.

For instance, if a friend has been acting mysteriously all day, you might finally ask, "你究竟有什么计划？" (What exactly are your plans?) Or if a colleague has been absent without explanation, you might wonder, "他究竟去哪儿了？" (Where on earth did he go?)

Sample Sentences

究竟发生了什么事？ (What on earth happened?)

你究竟想要什么？ (What do you really want?)

他究竟为什么迟到？ (Why was he late after all?)

In a Text

小明今天看起来心事重重，大家都很好奇他究竟在想什么。放学后，朋友们围着他，纷纷问道：“小明，你究竟怎么了？是不是发生了什么事情？”小明叹了口气，说：“我也不知道究竟该怎么办，我的宠物狗生病了。”朋友们听了，都表示愿意帮忙，一起想办法解决这个问题。他们决定带小明的狗去宠物医院检查，希望能找出究竟是什么病。

• 围着 (wéizhe): to surround

• 纷纷 (fēnfēn): one after another

• 叹 (tàn): to sigh

Xiaoming looked troubled today, and everyone was curious about what on earth he was thinking. After school, his friends gathered around him and asked, "Xiaoming, what's going on with you? Did something happen?" Xiaoming sighed and said, "I don't know what to do; my pet dog is sick." Hearing this, his friends all offered to help and started brainstorming ways to solve the problem. They decided to take Xiaoming's dog to the vet to find out what exactly was wrong.