Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 什么 + 都/也
什么……都 (shén me… dōu) is a pattern often used to express “all” or “everything” in Chinese.
It can be used when describing how a particular action applies to a general object, as in “我 什 么水 果 都 爱 吃 ( I like to eat any fruit).”
BASIC USAGE FOR ALL IN CHINESE
When using the pattern “什么……都”, we often place it after the sentence’s subject to modify it and add a verb or an adjective afterward. The basic structure is as follows:
PATTERN
Topic (+ Subject) + 什么都 / 也 + Verb / Adjective
Note that 都 (dōu) is more frequently used than 也 (yě) in this structure. See the following sentences for examples:
她什么都相信。
She believes in everything.她做什么都很认真。
She takes everything seriously.View More Phrases
| chinese | pinyin | english |
|---|---|---|
| 关于中国的历史，他什么都知道。 | guānyú zhōngguó de lìshǐ，tā shénme dōu zhīdào | He knows everything about the history of China. |
| 房间里什么都是木头做的。 | fángjiān lǐ shénme dōu shì mùtou zuò de | Everything in the room is made of wood. |
| 他今天心情不好，对什么都不满意。 | tā jīn tiān xīnqíng bù hǎo duì shénme dōu bù mǎnyì | He is in a bad mood today and is not satisfied with anything. |
| 我们是好朋友，他什么都跟我说。 | wǒmen shì hǎopéng yǒu，tā shénme dōu gēn wǒ shuō | We are good friends and he tells me everything. |
| 他很有绘画天赋，画什么都很生动。 | tā hěn yǒuhuì huà tiān fù， huà shénme dōu hěn shēngdòng | He is very talented in painting, and everything he paints is very vivid. |
什么都 STRUCTURE WITH A NOUN
Sometimes we place the subject between 什么 and 都.
In these cases, only the word order is different, but the sentence’s meaning remains the same. The modified sentence structure is as follows:
PATTERN
什么 + Noun + 都 + Verb
他性格很坦率，什么话都说。
He is very frank and says everything.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈做的什么菜都好吃。 | māma zuò de shénme cài dōu hǎochī. | Everything my mother cooks is delicious. |
| 她很好学，什么书都爱看。 | tā hěn hàoxué, shénme shū dōu ài kàn. | She is very good at learning and loves to read any book. |
| 他经常旅游，什么地方都去过。 | tā jīngcháng lǚyóu, shénme dìfang dōu qù guo. | He travels a lot and goes everywhere. |
| 他什么运动都喜欢。 | tā shénme yùndòng dōu xǐhuan. | He likes any sport. |
什么都 NEGATIVE STRUCTURE
So how do we form a negative sentence with the 什么……都 (shén me… dōu) pattern?
Well, we can simply add a 不 (bù) or a 没 (méi) after the 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě).
Instead of “all” or “everything”, this negative form expresses “none” or “not any.”
The following two sentence structures are the ones we often use:
STRUCTURE #1
什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 不 + Verb
STRUCTURE #2
什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 没 (有) + Verb
今天我不舒服，什么东西都没吃。
I’m not feeling well today and haven’t eaten anything.View More Phrases
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 刚刚开会时他什么话也没讲。 | gāng gāng kāi huì shí tā shén me huà yě méi jiǎng | He didn’t say anything during the meeting just now. |
| 什么事情都不能影响我的心情。 | shén me shì qíng dōu bù néng yǐng xiǎng wǒ de xīn qíng | Nothing can affect my mood. |
| 我忘记了她的生日，什么礼物都没准备。 | wǒ wàng jì le tā de shēng rì，shén me lǐ wù dōu méi zhǔn bèi | I forgot her birthday and didn’t prepare any present. |
| 你可不可以再说一遍，我什么都没听清。 | nǐ kě bù kě yǐ zài shuō yī biàn，wǒ shén me dōu méi tīng qīng | Could you say it again, I didn’t hear anything. |
| 不论做什么事情都不要轻易放弃。 | bù lùn zuò shén me shì qíng dōu bù yào qīng yì fàng qì | Don’t give up easily no matter what you do. |
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FAQs
What does the pattern “什么……都/也” mean?
This pattern is used to express “all” or “everything” in Chinese. It can be used when describing how a particular action applies to a general object, as in “我 什 么水 果 都 爱 吃 (I like to eat any fruit).”
How do you pronounce 什么……都 in Chinese?
This structure is pronounced shén me… dōu.
Is using 都 or 也 more common?
The pattern with 都 (dōu) is more frequently used than 也 (yě).
What are some examples for 什么……都/也?
Here are some sample sentences:
– 她什么都相信。tā shén me dōu xiāng xìn. She believes in everything.
– 妈妈做的什么菜都好吃。mā mā zuò de shén me cài dōu hǎo chī. Everything my mother cooks is delicious.
– 今天我不舒服，什么东西都没吃。jīn tiān wǒ bù shū fú ，shén me dōng xī dōu méi chī. I’m not feeling well today and haven’t eaten anything.
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