Emphasizing quantity with "dou"

都 (dōu) is one of those characters that on the surface may seem simple, but actually has many different subtle uses. In this article, we will look at using 都 (dōu) to emphasize quantity.

Structure

You can use 都 (dōu) to emphasis the large quantity of something, particularly a group of people. The subject should be some sort of large group (like a majority of people or things), e.g. "很多人 (hěnduō rén)" or "大家 (dàjiā)."

Subject + 都 + Verb + Object

Examples

First let's look at some typical examples using 很多 (hěnduō) to emphasize that it's "a lot." Note that in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). Eventually it will become more natural.

• 很 多 人 都 喜欢 你 。 Hěn duō rén dōu xǐhuān nǐ.A lot of people like you.
• 很 多 人 都 想 工作。Hěn duō rén dōu xiǎng gōngzuò.A lot of people want to work.
• 很 多 咖啡厅 都 有 wifi。Hěn duō kāfēi tīng dōu yǒu wifi.A lot of cafes have wifi.

Now let's look at some examples using "大家 (dàjiā)" or "everyone." Again, in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). You just have to get used to it.

• 今天 大家 都 来 了 。Jīntiān dàjiā dōu láile.Today, everyone came.
• 大家 都 说 你 很 聪明 。Dàjiā dōu shuō nǐ hěn cōngmíng.Everyone says you're smart.
• 大家 都 忘 了 他 的 名字 。Dàjiā dōu wàngle tā de míngzì.Everyone forgot his name.
• 大家 都 应该 知道。Dàjiā dōu yīnggāi zhīdào.Everyone should know.

One other common way to use 都 (dōu) is when you're talking about something that happens really often, such as "every day" ("每天 (měitiān)"). Use 都 (dōu) here in Chinese, even if it feels unnatural. (Fake it 'til you make it!)

• 我 每天 都 要 上班 。 Wǒ měitiān dōu yào shàngbān.I have to go to work every day.
• 我 每天 都 上 淘宝 。 (Taobao is China's biggest online shopping website)Wǒ měitiān dōu shàng Táobǎo.I go on Taobao every day.
• 她 每天 都 去 KTV 。 Tā měitiān dōu qù KTV.She goes to karaoke every day.

Here are some other examples that don't use 很多 (hěnduō) or 大家 (dàjiā) or 每天 (měitiān) (but are still quite typical):

• 英国 人 都 喜欢 喝 啤酒。Yīngguó rén dōu xǐhuān hē píjiǔ.British people all like drinking beer.
• 中国 人 都 说 中文。 Zhōngguó rén dōu shuō Zhōngwén.Chinese people all speak Chinese.
• 我 的 家人 都 爱 中国。Wǒ de jiārén dōu ài Zhōngguó. My family members all love China.
• 我们 五 个 人 都 去。 Wǒmen wǔ gèrén dōu qù.All five of us are going.
• 我 的 朋友 都 喜欢 去 KTV。 Wǒ de péngyǒu dōu xǐhuān qù KTV.My friends all like to go to karaoke.

See also

• The "all" adverb
• Expressing "every" with "mei" and "dou"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (p. 313) →buy
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (p. 210) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (p. 34) →buy