<p>探个 means to explore, inspect something,</p>

<p>究竟 means the reasons behind something / the truth</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T06:10:16.947Z
2015-08-13T06:10:16.947Z
Delay No More
<p>Previous answers have explained well. I just want to add a few notes for the word “究竟”.
This word does not only mean the result or just what happened. It goes beyond that and means what actually happened. Or what is the very natural of something. 
It does not represent the outlook or appearance of something, it points to the deepest truth and usually a fundamental reason.
In your example, the sentence means the man looking into the barrel not only for what happened but also why if possible. The second tier meaning is hidden inside the word 究竟</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-13T21:51:38.287Z
2015-08-13T21:51:38.287Z
Yi Shen
<p>It means "To see what/how it is" or "take a look" as you may say it.</p>

<p>I think 究竟 has a similar meaning to "what it is", and 探 here means can mean "look", so I would say "To see what it is".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-12T14:22:22.490Z
究竟 does not really means result / outcome, it's more like "what happened"
Alex
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-12T11:01:49.693Z
2015-08-12T15:54:56.533Z
2015-08-12T15:54:56.533Z
Daniel Cheung
<p>On the lid of the barrel（桶）  it says '不可偷看‘ </p>

<p>I have the sentence：人很好奇，走过来弯下腰把脑袋伸到桶里探个究竟。</p>

<p>探 = explore, 究竟 = outcome, result</p>

<p>探个究竟 = 'take a look' or 'see what happens' or both OK?</p>

<meaning>
What does 探个究竟 actually mean?
# What does 探个究竟 actually mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-12)

On the lid of the barrel（桶） it says '不可偷看‘

I have the sentence：人很好奇，走过来弯下腰把脑袋伸到桶里探个究竟。

探 = explore, 究竟 = outcome, result

探个究竟 = 'take a look' or 'see what happens' or both OK?

**Tags:** meaning


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-13. Score: 0

探个 means to explore, inspect something,

究竟 means the reasons behind something / the truth


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-13. Score: 0

Previous answers have explained well. I just want to add a few notes for the word “究竟”.
This word does not only mean the result or just what happened. It goes beyond that and means what actually happened. Or what is the very natural of something.
It does not represent the outlook or appearance of something, it points to the deepest truth and usually a fundamental reason.
In your example, the sentence means the man looking into the barrel not only for what happened but also why if possible. The second tier meaning is hidden inside the word 究竟


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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-08-12. Score: 0

It means "To see what/how it is" or "take a look" as you may say it.

I think 究竟 has a similar meaning to "what it is", and 探 here means can mean "look", so I would say "To see what it is".

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: 究竟 does not really means result / outcome, it's username_1 like "what happened"  

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