Expressing "all" with "suoyou"
(Redirected from Referring to "all" using "suoyou")
-
Level
-
Similar to
- Emphasizing quantity with "dou" (A2)
- Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou" (A2)
- Expressing "double negation" (B1)
- Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou" (B1)
- Expressing "every" with question words (B1)
- Expressing "less than" with "budao" (B1)
- Indicating the whole with "quan" (B1)
- Expressing "any" with "renhe" (B2)
- Expressing "no exception" with "yilu" (C1)
-
Used for
-
Keywords
You can use 所有 (suǒyǒu) to say "all of" something. It's what you use to say phrases like "all the money in the world" or "all of my friends."
Contents
Basic Pattern
Structure
This pattern is used to refer to "all" of a noun, with the quantity of said noun usually being fairly large. You may notice that the 的 after 所有 is occasionally omitted.
所有 (+ 的) + Noun
Examples
- 你 买 了 她 所有 的 书 ？You've bought all her books?
- 我 喜欢 所有 我 妈妈 做 的 菜 。I like all the food my mom cooks.
- 他 记得 所有 朋友 的 生日 。He remembers all of his friends' birthdays.
- 我 的 孩子 看 过 所有 的 迪斯尼 动画片 。My child has seen all of the Disney animated films.
Full Sentence Pattern
When you make 所有 part of the subject, you're typically going to need 都 before the predicate.
Structure
所有 (+ 的) + Noun + 都 + Predicate
The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.
Examples
- 所有 人 都 走 了 吗 ？Did all the people leave?
- 所有 的 学校 都 放假 了。All the schools are out for the holiday.
- 我们 学校 所有 的 老师 都 会 说 英文 。All the teachers in our school can speak English.
- 我们 公司 所有 人 都 参加 了 这个 会议 。All people in our company attended this meeting.
"Not All" with 不是所有的
Take note that you use 不是 rather than just 不 to negate 所有.
Structure
不是 + 所有 (+ 的) + Noun + 都 + Predicate
Examples
- 不是 所有 的 美国 人 都 爱 喝 咖啡 。Not all Americans like drinking coffee.
- 不是 所有 问题 都 能 用 钱 来 解决 。Not all problems can be solved with money.
- 不是 所有 朋友 都 愿意 帮 他 。Not all of his friends are willing to help him.
- 不是 所有 的 公司 都 给 员工 提供 培训 。Not all companies provide their employees with training.
See also
- Expressing "Everyone" with "shei"
- Expressing "All" with "shenme dou"
- Expressing "Every" with "mei" and "dou"
- Indicating the whole with "quan"
Sources and further reading
Books
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 283) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
- Contemporary Chinese 4 (当代中文4) (pp. 181) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
Websites
- Chinesegrammar.info: Chinese grammar 所 (suǒ) structural particle
