Difference between revisions of "The "all" adverb "dou""

m (Text replacement - "xǐhuān" to "xǐhuan")
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express "all" in Chinese. It's very common to use 都 (dōu) in all sorts of sentences where we would find it unnecessary in English.
+
The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express "all" in Chinese. It's common to use 都 (dōu) in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.
  
 
== 都 for "all" ==
 
== 都 for "all" ==
Line 29: Line 29:
 
== 都 for "both" ==
 
== 都 for "both" ==
  
Chinese doesn't normally use a special word for "both" like English does.  It just uses 都 (dōu) as if it were any other number greater than one.  Chinese also doesn't have a special pattern like "neither / nor" for the negative case.  Just use 都 (dōu) and make the sentence negative.  This is actually really easy; you just have to get used to it.
+
Chinese doesn't normally use a special word for "both" like English does.  It just uses 都 (dōu) as if it were any other number greater than one.  Chinese also doesn't have a special pattern like "neither / nor" for the negative case.  Just use 都 (dōu) and make the sentence negative.   
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===

Revision as of 02:32, 15 March 2016

Chinese-grammar-wiki-dou.jpg

The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express "all" in Chinese. It's common to use 都 (dōu) in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.

都 for "all"

Structure

Subject + 都 + [Verb Phrase]

Remember that 都 (dōu) appears after the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 (dōu) at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good Chinese - make sure you put 都 (dōu) after the subject and before the verb.

Examples

  • 你们 认识 John 吗 ?Nǐmen dōu rènshi John ma? Do you all know John?
  • 他们 在 上海 。Tāmen dōu zài Shànghǎi. They are all in Shanghai.
  • 明天 我们 可以 去 。Míngtiān wǒmen dōu kěyǐ qù. Tomorrow we all can go.
  • 你们 用 wiki 吗 ?Nǐmen dōu yòng wiki ma? Do you all use the wiki?
  • 我们 要 冰水。Wǒmen dōu yào bīngshuǐ . We all want ice water.

都 for "both"

Chinese doesn't normally use a special word for "both" like English does. It just uses 都 (dōu) as if it were any other number greater than one. Chinese also doesn't have a special pattern like "neither / nor" for the negative case. Just use 都 (dōu) and make the sentence negative.

Structure

Subjects + 都 + [Verb Phrase]

This pattern should look familiar.

Examples

These examples follow exactly the same form in Chinese as the ones above. The only difference is that here we don't translate 都 (dōu) as "all" in English; we translate it as "both," and for negative cases, we translate it as "neither."

  • 我们 两 个 爱 你 。Wǒmen liǎng gè dōu ài nǐ. The two of us both love you.
  • 你 爸爸 和 你 妈妈 是 美国人 吗? Nǐ bàba hé nǐ māma dōu shì Měiguó rén ma? Are your father and your mother both Americans?
  • 我 和 我 太太 不 吃 肉。Wǒ hé wǒ tàitai dōu bù chī ròu. Neither my wife nor I eat meat.
  • 你们 两个 喜欢 中国 菜 吗?Nǐmen liǎng gè dōu xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma? Do you both like Chinese food?
  • 她 和 她 老公 没有 工作。 Tā hé tā lǎogōng dōu méi yǒu gōngzuò. Neither she nor her husband has a job.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books