Expressing "already" with "dou… le"

都⋯⋯ 了 (dōu... le) is used to express that something has already happened, similar to "已经⋯⋯ 了." However it is used more emphatically, implying that the speaker holds some sort of attitude in relation to the event, and is not merely objectively stating the facts, as with "已经⋯⋯ 了." The two options can actually also be combined in the pattern "都已经⋯⋯ 了." Here the meaning is the same as "都⋯⋯ 了".

Structure

都 + Verb / Adj. / Quantity + 了

Examples

• 你 都 快 三十 了，还 不 结婚？Nǐ dōu kuài sānshí le, hái bù jiéhūn?You're almost 30, and you still aren't married?
• 现在 都 二 十 一 世纪 了，你 怎么 还 这么 想？Xiànzài dōu èr shí yī shìjì le, nǐ zěnme hái zhème xiǎng?It's already the 21st century, can you believe that?
• 都 九点 了，快 起床 吧！Dōu jiǔ diǎn le, kuài qǐchuáng ba!It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!
• 他 都 到 了，你 不 能 不 见 他。Tā dōu dào le, nǐ bùnéng bùjiàn tā.He's already arrived. You've got to see him.
• 饭 都 凉 了，他 怎么 还 不 回来？Fàn dōu liáng le, tā zěnme hái bù huílái?The food is cold already. Why hasn't he come back yet?
• 牛奶 都 坏了，你怎么还不把它扔掉 ？Niúnǎi dōu huài le, nǐ zěnme hái bù bǎ tā rēng diào?The milk's gone bad, why haven't you thrown it away?
• 他都 道歉 了，你 还 不能 原谅 他 吗！Tā dōu dàoqiàn le, nǐ hái bùnéng yuánliàng tā ma!He's made an apology. Are you not going to forgive him？

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) (pp. 97-99) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (p. 178) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 329 ) →buy

HSK4