Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou"

"每...都..." (měi...dōu...) is a pattern used to express "every" when talking about a quantitative amount. This is similar to how we say "every day I eat cereal" or "every student passed the exam。“

Using 每...都 to mean "every"

Using 每 and 都 together is pretty simple.

每 + Number + Measure Word + Noun + 都 + Adjective/Verb

Note is that if the number is simply just "one", then it's usually omitted.

Examples

• 我 每 （一） 个 星期 三 都 去 实习。I go to my internship every Wednesday.
• 他 每 （一） 天 都 上 班。He works every day.
• 请 你 每 两 天 服 一 次 药。Every two days, take a pill.

Just make sure that when you went to express "every one" with 每, as in "every day I take a nap", don't forget the 都! Sometimes you don't necessarily need it, but when in doubt, just use it to be safe!

Using 每 and 都 when focusing on a certain action

In this grammar structure, we focus on every time a certain action is done, like "every time he speaks I can't understand him."

每 +Verb + Number+ 都 + Adjective/Verb

Examples

• 她 每 说 一 句 话 都 要 听 一下。
• 我 每 看完 一部电影 都 想 跟 他讨论。

See also

• Pronoun "mei" for "every"
• Emphasising quantity with "dou"
• Measure Words for Verbs

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 87-8) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 267) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 284-5) →buy