(bì jìng) - after all, when all is said and done in Mandarin
bìjìngTraditional: 畢竟
Translation
after all, when all is said and done
Word origin
A compound of 毕 (bì, to finish, to conclude) and 竟 (jìng, in the end, after all), two words for coming to the end of the matter.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 毕 (bì, to conclude) + 竟 (jìng, in the end)
Stroke order
毕
竟
Examples
。
He is still a child, after all.
，。
It is the first time after all, do not be too nervous.
。
She did help us, when all is said and done.
。
Money is not the most important thing after all.
。
We are family, when it comes down to it.
毕竟 introduces the fact that settles an argument. You use it when you are excusing something or lowering an expectation: he made a mess of it, but 毕竟这是第一次. English "after all" is the closest fit, in the sense of "well, it is the first time".
Position is flexible in a way most Chinese adverbs are not. It can sit after the subject, as in 他毕竟还是个孩子, or open the clause, as in 毕竟这是第一次. Both are natural, and the sentence-initial version is a shade more emphatic.
Do not confuse it with 到底, which asks what happened in the end or presses for an answer, or with 究竟, which is close to 到底 in questions. 毕竟 never appears in a question. If you hear it, the speaker is not asking, they are conceding.
Where this fits
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毕竟: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "毕竟" (after all, when all is said and done): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 43.