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/Adjective/Quantity + 了

Examples

• 你 都 快 三十 了，还 不 结婚？You're almost going to be 30, and you still aren't married?
• 现在 都 二 十 一 世纪 了，你 怎么 还 这么 想？It's already the 21st century. Can you believe that?
• 都 九点 了，快 起床 吧！It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!
• 他 都 到 了，你 不 能 不 见 他。He already arrived.You've got to see him.
• 饭 都 凉 了，他 怎么 还 不 回来？The food is cold already. Why haven't he come back yet?
• 牛奶 都 坏了，你怎么还不把它扔掉 ？The milk's gone bad.And why haven't you thrown it away?
• 他都 道歉 了，你 还 不能 原谅 他 吗！He's made an apology.Are you not gonna 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） (pp. 178) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (pp.329 ) →buy

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