Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 都?
Do you know there is a functional character in Chinese can cover several words, including ‘both’, ‘all’, ‘both not/neither’, and ‘all not’?
都 (dōu) is a commonly used adverb in Chinese.
Generally, you can change the extent of expression by adding it into the middle of your sentence.
都 FOR “ALL”
In most cases, the meaning of 都 (dōu) equals “all” in English.
But unlike “all” in English, 都 always appears after the subject instead of the at beginning of the sentence. So, the basic sentence structure should be like this:
PATTERN
Subject + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
都 FOR “BOTH”
To make things easier, we don’t need to distinguish between “all” and “both” in Chinese.
Instead, we use 都 (dōu) when there are more than one subject.
Chinese also doesn’t have a particular pattern like “neither/nor”. In negative situations, we can simply add “不 (bù)” before “都 (dōu) ”. The sentence structure remains the same:
PATTERN
Subject + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
EMPHASIZING QUANTITY
都 (dōu) can also be used to emphasize the quantity or extent in Chinese.
For example, if you want to express stay healthy is very important and that you do exercises every day, then you can say “我每天都锻炼。/ I work out every day.”
Apart from collocating 都 (dōu) with 每天 (měi tiān), it is also quite common to collocate it with 很多 (hěn duō) or 大家 (dàjiā) to stress the number of the subject. And the basic sentence structure is:
PATTERNS
Subject + 都 + Verb + Object
Subject + 都 + Adjective
EVERYTHING WITH 什么…都
什么……都 (shén me… dōu) is also a pattern often used to express “all” or “everything.”
However, it is a more colloquial and informal expression than 都 (dōu). So, remember not to use it in any formal situations. Now, the basic structure to use this phrase is:
PATTERN
什么 + Noun + 都 + Verb
NEGATIVE FORM
Now let’s get straight its negative form. There are two basic structures to say “all not” using this phrase:
PATTERNS
什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 不 + Verb
什么 + Noun + 都 / 也 + 没 (有) + Verb
Notice that it follows a different order than in English, so it might be a bit tricky to get the hang of at first. Here are more examples to help you better command this usage:
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 今天我不舒服，什么东西都没吃。 | jīn tiān wǒ bú shū fú，shí me dōng xī dōu méi chī | I’m not feeling well today, so I didn’t eat anything. |
| 上午的会议上她什么话也没说。 | shàng wǔ de huì yì shàng tā shí me huà yě méi shuō | She didn’t say a word at the morning meeting. |
| 今天是周末，我什么也不想做。 | jīn tiān shì zhōu mò，wǒ shí me yě bú xiǎng zuò | Today is the weekend and I don’t want to do anything. |
| 老板现在很生气，什么人也不想见。 | lǎo bǎn xiàn zài hěn shēng qì，shí me rén yě bú xiǎng jiàn | The boss is very angry now and doesn’t want to see anyone. |
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FAQs
What does 都 mean?
In most cases, the meaning of 都 equals “all” in English.
What is the basic sentence structure for 都?
Unlike “all” in English, 都 always appears after the subject instead of the at beginning of the sentence. So, the basic sentence structure should be like this:
– Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
What does 什么…都 mean?
什么……都 (shén me… dōu) is a pattern often used to express “all” or “everything.” However, it is a more colloquial and informal expression than 都(dōu).
How can I stress the meaning of 都?
You can use 都 in combination with words like 每天 (měi tiān), 很多 (hěn duō) or 大家 (dàjiā) to emphasize the frequency of the action.
What are some sample sentences of 都?
– 我们都很喜欢滑雪。wǒ men dōu hěn xǐ huān huá xuě. We all love skiing.
– 我们两个人都很想念你。wǒ men liǎng gè rén dōu hěn xiǎng niàn nǐ. We both miss you so much.
– 很多人都有喝咖啡的习惯。hěn duō rén dōu yǒu hē kā fēi de xí guàn. A lot of people have the habit of drinking coffee.
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