After all: 毕竟
Reminds the listener of a basic fact that should weigh in the judgement — usually one that excuses or explains. It is never “at last”, and never used in questions.
Structure
判断／要求，（主语）+ 毕竟 + 事实 ｜ 虽然 + 不足，但 + 毕竟 + 事实
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
， “Don’t be angry with him — he is, after all, still a child.” brings forward a fact that the listener knows but has not given its due weight, and asks them to let it change their view. Here the fact excuses the child’s behaviour.
The pattern often closes a …… sentence: the first part admits a shortcoming, and the clause supplies the fact that outweighs it. ， “He doesn’t speak very well, but then he has only been studying for six months.” The fact comes last because it is the one meant to win.
English “after all” and “finally” blur together for many learners, and that produces the two classic errors. “He finally came” is , never . And the questioning “after all” — “are you going or not, in the end?” — is or : ？ always states a settled fact; it never asks.
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
别生他的气了，他毕竟还是个孩子。別生他的氣了，他畢竟還是個孩子。
Bié (second tone, rising) shēng (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) qì (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) tā (first tone, high and level) bìjìng (fourth tone, falling) hái (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) háizi. (second tone, rising)···
Don’t be angry with him — he’s still a child, after all.
他虽然说得不太好，但毕竟只学了半年。他雖然說得不太好，但畢竟只學了半年。
Tā (first tone, high and level) suīrán (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) bú (second tone, rising) tài (fourth tone, falling) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) dàn (fourth tone, falling) bìjìng (fourth tone, falling) zhǐ (third tone, dipping) xuéle (second tone, rising) bàn (fourth tone, falling) nián. (second tone, rising)···
He doesn’t speak very well, but then he has only studied for six months.
毕竟是第一次做饭，做成这样已经不错了。畢竟是第一次做飯，做成這樣已經不錯了。
Bìjìng (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) dì (fourth tone, falling) yī (first tone, high and level) cì (fourth tone, falling) zuò (fourth tone, falling) fàn, (fourth tone, falling) zuòchéng (fourth tone, falling) zhèyàng (fourth tone, falling) yǐjīng (third tone, dipping) búcuò (second tone, rising) le. (neutral tone)···
It was the first time cooking, after all — turning out like this is already pretty good.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 等了两个小时，他毕竟来了。
Correct
Correct sentence: 等了两个小时，他终于来了。
Why: “At last, after a long wait” is 终于. 毕竟 is “after all” in the sense of “don’t forget that…”.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 你毕竟去不去？
Correct
Correct sentence: 你到底去不去？
Why: Questions that press for a final answer take 到底 or 究竟. 毕竟 only states facts.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 他毕竟只学了半年，但说得不太好。
Correct
Correct sentence: 他说得不太好，但毕竟只学了半年。
Why: The 毕竟 fact is the one meant to outweigh the shortcoming, so it follows 但, after the shortcoming has been admitted.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
因为 gives a cause and lets the result follow: 因为他只学了半年，所以说得不太好. 毕竟 does not merely explain; it argues. It reminds the listener of a fact to weigh against their judgement, usually to soften it: 他说得不太好，但毕竟只学了半年 carries an implied “so go easy on him”. That is why 毕竟 clauses typically follow a criticism, a complaint or a request.
Cause and result: 因为…所以… →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Fill the gap: 你别着急了，他 ___ 是第一次来中国。