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

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* 你们 <em>都</em> 认识 John 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> rènshi John ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all know John? </span>
 
* 你们 <em>都</em> 认识 John 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> rènshi John ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all know John? </span>
* 他们 <em>都</em> 在 上海 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>dōu</em> zài Shànghǎi.</span><span class="trans">They are all in Shanghai. </span>
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* 他们 <em>都</em> 在 上海 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>dōu</em> zài Shànghǎi.</span><span class="trans">They are all in Shanghai.</span>
* 明天 我们 <em>都</em> 可以 去 。<span class="pinyin">Míngtiān wǒmen <em>dōu</em> kěyǐ qù.</span><span class="trans">Tomorrow we all can go. </span>
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* 明天 我们 <em>都</em> 可以 去 。<span class="pinyin">Míngtiān wǒmen <em>dōu</em> kěyǐ qù.</span><span class="trans">Tomorrow we all can go.</span>
 
* 你们 <em>都</em> 用 wiki 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> yòng wiki ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all use the wiki? </span>
 
* 你们 <em>都</em> 用 wiki 吗 ?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> yòng wiki ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all use the wiki? </span>
* 我们 <em>都</em> 要 冰水。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>dōu</em> yào bīngshuǐ .</span><span class="trans">We all want ice water. </span>
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* 我们 <em>都</em> 要 冰水。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>dōu</em> yào bīngshuǐ .</span><span class="trans">We all want ice water.</span>
  
 
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* 我们 两 个 <em>都</em> 爱 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> ài nǐ.</span><span class="trans">The two of us both love you. </span>
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* 我们 两 个 <em>都</em> 爱 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> ài nǐ.</span><span class="trans">The two of us both love you.</span>
 
*  你 爸爸 和 你 妈妈 <em>都</em> 是 美国人 吗?<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ bàba hé nǐ māma <em>dōu</em> shì Měiguó rén ma?</span><span class="trans">Are your father and your mother both Americans? </span>
 
*  你 爸爸 和 你 妈妈 <em>都</em> 是 美国人 吗?<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ bàba hé nǐ māma <em>dōu</em> shì Měiguó rén ma?</span><span class="trans">Are your father and your mother both Americans? </span>
* 我 和 我 太太 <em>都</em>  不 吃 肉。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hé wǒ tàitai <em>dōu</em> bù chī ròu. </span><span class="trans">Neither my wife nor I eat meat. </span>
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* 我 和 我 太太 <em>都</em>  不 吃 肉。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hé wǒ tàitai <em>dōu</em> bù chī ròu.</span><span class="trans">Neither my wife nor I eat meat.</span>
 
* 你们 两个 <em>都</em> 喜欢 中国 菜 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma? </span><span class="trans">Do you both like Chinese food? </span>
 
* 你们 两个 <em>都</em> 喜欢 中国 菜 吗?<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma? </span><span class="trans">Do you both like Chinese food? </span>
*  她 和 她 老公 <em>都</em> 没有 工作。<span class="pinyin"> Tā hé tā lǎogōng <em>dōu</em>  méiyǒu gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">Neither she nor her husband has a job. </span>
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*  她 和 她 老公 <em>都</em> 没有 工作。<span class="pinyin"> Tā hé tā lǎogōng <em>dōu</em>  méiyǒu gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">Neither she nor her husband has a job.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 04:03, 24 May 2017

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 (dōu) for "All"

Structure

Subj. + 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 (dōu) 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

Subj. + 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 méiyǒu gōngzuò.Neither she nor her husband has a job.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books