<p>Try:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但我们<strong>到底</strong>应该怎样来区分呢？// Though these are two different plants, how <strong>on earth</strong> should we distinguish them?</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T03:38:07.713Z
2019-12-29T02:57:22.530Z
2019-12-29T02:57:22.530Z
dan
<blockquote>
  <p>虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但是我看不出<strong>到底</strong>有什么不同。= ...I can't see how on earth they are different.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T08:06:40.517Z
2019-12-26T08:06:40.517Z
trisct
<p>When you start the first part of a sentence with a 虽然 (although), the second part would  always start with a &quot;but&quot; (但/卻)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但[<strong>到底</strong>]也都是兰科植物。</p>
<p>Although these are two different plants, they are both in the same orchid family [<strong>after all</strong>].</p>
<p><em>(两者都会患只有兰科植物会患的病)</em></p>
<p><em>(Both would suffer from disease that only infect orchid plants)</em></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T03:05:16.753Z
2019-12-26T03:20:46.293Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>标准教程HSK4下 (p.79) has a "complete the sentence" exercise:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...。（<a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%88%B0%E5%BA%95" rel="nofollow noreferrer">到底</a>)<br>
  Although these are two different plants, ...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Basically, the task is to complete the sentence using 到底 in a natural way.  (My attempt was a disaster, so there's probably no point in repeating it here; it'll distract more than help.)</p>

<p>Surprisingly, my teacher also seemed to struggle answering this question in a natural way.  The problem is that the sentence talks about plants, and 到底 is used for emphasis.  We thought that only botanists might be passionate enough about plants to use 到底.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Using 到底, how could we naturally complete the sentence 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...?</p>

<p>I still have no idea.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T02:17:51.677Z
I suppose I should ask: 我们**到底**怎么自然地完成这句话？
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T02:23:56.500Z
虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但是长得一模一样，这到底是怎么一回事
fefe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T02:25:30.457Z
I encourage you to turn examples into answers (:
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T02:29:50.243Z
I really don't know how to expand it into an answer ...
fefe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-26T11:52:42.653Z
Interesting. Three people gave three usages of 到底.hhhh
Toosky Hierot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-30T08:39:19.170Z
"虽然这到底是两棵不同的植物" like this?
tsh
<word-choice><usage><sentence>
Using 到底, how could we naturally complete the sentence 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...?
# Using 到底, how could we naturally complete the sentence 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-26)

标准教程HSK4下 (p.79) has a "complete the sentence" exercise:

> 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...。（[到底](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%88%B0%E5%BA%95))  
> Although these are two different plants, ...

Basically, the task is to complete the sentence using 到底 in a natural way. (My attempt was a disaster, so there's probably no point in repeating it here; it'll distract more than help.)

Surprisingly, my teacher also seemed to struggle answering this question in a natural way. The problem is that the sentence talks about plants, and 到底 is used for emphasis. We thought that only botanists might be passionate enough about plants to use 到底.

**Question**: Using 到底, how could we naturally complete the sentence 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，...?

I still have no idea.

**Tags:** word-choice, usage, sentence

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I suppose I should ask: 我们**到底**怎么自然地完成这句话？  
> **username_1**: 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但是长得一模一样，这到底是怎么一回事  
> **username_0**: I encourage you to turn examples into answers (:  
> **username_1**: I really don't know how to expand it into an answer ...  
> **username_2**: Interesting. Three people gave three usages of 到底.hhhh  
> **username_3**: "虽然这到底是两棵不同的植物" like this?  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-12-26. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Try:

> 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但我们**到底**应该怎样来区分呢？// Though these are two different plants, how **on earth** should we distinguish them?


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### Answer by username_5 on 2019-12-26. Score: 2

> 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但是我看不出**到底**有什么不同。= ...I can't see how on earth they are different.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2019-12-26. Score: 2

When you start the first part of a sentence with a 虽然 (although), the second part would always start with a "but" (但/卻)

> 虽然这是两棵不同的植物，但[**到底**]也都是兰科植物。
>
> Although these are two different plants, they are both in the same orchid family [**after all**].
>
> *(两者都会患只有兰科植物会患的病)*
>
> *(Both would suffer from disease that only infect orchid plants)*


---

