Difference between revisions of "Advanced uses of "dou""

Revision as of 02:32, 10 November 2020

In its simplest terms, 都 (dōu) means "all," but there are also many other advanced uses for it.

都 can also mean 甚至 (shènzhì), meaning "even to the point that," and in this form it expresses emphasis.

Subj. + 都 + Predicate

我都能闻见面包的香味。Wǒ dōu néng wénjiàn miànbāo de xiāngwèi.I can even smell the aroma of bread.
我对你太了解了，我都能知道你下一步要做什么。Wǒ duì nǐ tài liǎojiě le, wǒ dōu néng zhīdào nǐ xià yī bù yào zuò shénme.I know you too well. I can even tell what your next move will be.
你说的那些我都能想象得到。Nǐ shuō dì nàxiē wǒ dōu néng xiǎngxiàng de dào.I can imagine all those things that you said.
现在网络购物很方便，你需要在网上都能买得到。Xiànzài wǎngluò gòuwù hěn fāngbiàn, nǐ xūyào zài wǎngshàng dōu néng mǎi de dào.It's so convenient to shop online now, you need Internet just to be able to buy things.
我很想妈妈，有时候我都能看见她。Wǒ hěn xiǎng Māmā, yǒu shíhòu wǒ dōu néng kànjiàn tā.I really miss Mom. Sometimes I can even see her.

This pattern overlaps a little with the 都……了 pattern used to mean "already." It still has some of that "already," flavor, but with some of "since" added in as well.

"Since ..., in that case...“ can also be conveyed with 都 and a repeating verb, similar to "既然⋯⋯就".

Verb + 都 + Verb 了，...

来都来了，就先别急着走了。Lái dōu láile, jiù xiān bié jízhe zǒu le.I'm here already. No need to be in such a hurry to leave.
去都去了，就好好玩吧。Qù dōu qù le, jiù hǎo hǎowán ba.Go all the way, just have fun.
说都说了，就别说这是什么秘密了。Shuō dōu shuō le, jiù bié shuō zhè shì shénme mìmì le.Say what you want to say, just don't spill secrets.

都 can also convey a tone of grumbling or complaint, frequently used with 怨 or 怪.

都 + 怨 / 是 / 怪 + Somebody

都怪你，出门不带伞。Dōu guài nǐ, chūmén bù dài sǎn.It's all your fault, leaving without bringing an umbrella.
都是你，害我跑这么远。Dōu shì nǐ, hài wǒ pǎo zhème yuǎn.It's because of you, making me go all that way.
都怨你，不提前订好座位。Dōu yuàn nǐ, bù tíqián dìng hǎo zuòwèi.I blame you for not making the reservation earlier.

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 * 我 <em>都</em> 能 闻见 面包 的 香味 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>dōu</em> néng wénjiàn miànbāo de xiāngwèi.</span><span class="trans">I can even smell the aroma of bread.</span>
-* 他的 记忆力 很 好，去年 发生 的 事情 他 <em>都</em> 能 说 出来。<span class="pinyin">Tā de jìyìlì hěn hǎo, qùnián fāshēng de shìqíng tā <em>dōu</em> néng shuō chūlái.</span><span class="trans">His memory is amazing. He can even tell you everything that happened last year.</span>
 * 我 对 你 太 了解 了 ，我 <em>都</em> 能 知道 你 下 一步 要 做 什么 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ duì nǐ tài liǎojiě le, wǒ <em>dōu</em> néng zhīdào nǐ xià yī bù yào zuò shénme.</span><span class="trans">I know you too well. I can even tell what your next move will be.</span>
 * 你 说的 那些 我 <em>都</em> 能 想象 得到。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ shuō dì nàxiē wǒ <em>dōu</em> néng xiǎngxiàng de dào.</span><span class="trans">I can imagine all those things that you said.</span>