到底是什么

what exactly is it

→ 到底
phrase Uncommon #7,904
what exactly is it 到底 adds emphasis, expressing insistence or curiosity; depending on context, it can sound like “what on earth is it?”
CH: 这个盒子里到底是什么?
EN: What exactly is in this box?

教育的最终目的到底是什么?

What is the ultimate purpose of education?

我始终没弄明白停车位到底是什么。

I’ve never really understood what a parking space actually is.

那个咒语到底是什么?

What exactly is that spell?

— 天空之城 (1986)

天知道他们的命运到底是什么。

Heaven knows what their fate really is.

到底是什么?

What exactly is it?

— 寄生虫 (2019)

魔术师的目的到底是什么

What exactly is the magician's goal?

— 空之境界 第五章 矛盾螺旋 (2008)

那到底是什么

So what exactly is it?

— 幸福的拉扎罗 (2018)

希尔维亚你到底是什么人啊?

Sylvia, who are you, anyway?

— 甜蜜的生活 (1960)

你到底是什么?

What exactly are you?

— 攻壳机动队 (1995)

其实,我自己也不知道那些笔记到底是什么。

Actually, I don’t even know what those notes are.

我很确定他说的“忘了”,指的是图书馆笔记,不管那到底是什么。

I'm pretty sure what he said he'd “forgotten” was the library notes, whatever those are.

到底是什么一回事?

What on earth is going on?

— 星际旅行2:可汗怒吼 (1982)

那到底是什么?

So what exactly is it?

计划到底是什么

What exactly is the plan?

— 寄生虫 (2019)

你到底是什么

What exactly are you?

— 空之境界 第五章 矛盾螺旋 (2008)

这…这些东西到底是什么

Wh-what are these things, anyway?

— 釜山行 (2016)