Emphasizing quantity with "dou"
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Keywords
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). You just have to get used to it.
- 很 多 人 都 喜欢 你 。 A lot of people like you.
- 很 多 人 都 想 工作。A lot of people want to work.
- 很 多 咖啡厅 都 有 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 。Today, everyone came.
- 大家 都 说 你 很 聪明 。Everyone says you're smart.
- 大家 都 忘 了 他 的 名字 。Everyone forgot his name.
- 大家 都 应该 知道。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 。 I have to go to work every day.
- 我 每天 都 上 淘宝 。 (Taobao is China's biggest online shopping website)I go on Taobao every day.
- 她 每天 都 去 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。British people all like drinking beer.
- 中国 人 都 说 中文。 Chinese people all speak Chinese.
- 我 的 家人 都 爱 中国。 My family members all love China.
- 我们 五 个 人 都 去。 All five of us are going.
- 我 的 朋友 都 喜欢 去 KTV。 My friends all like to go to karaoke.
