Expressing "even" with "lian" and "dou"
"连 ... 都/也 ..." (lián ... dōu/yě ...) is a pattern that can be used to emphasize certain unexpected or surprising events or information. It is used the same way even is in English.
Here's the general sentence structure:
连 + Noun + 也/都 + Adjective/Verb
The important thing to remember is that the noun is being emphasized rather than the action.
Here are some example sentences which should make this clear:
- 我们 都 去 上海 ,连 奶奶 也 去。
- 她 每天 都 学习 数学,连 星期日 也 学习。
- 谁 都 喜欢 听 那 首 歌曲,连 爸爸 也 喜欢。
Sources and further reading
Books
- Common Chinese Patterns 330 (NEEDS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK)
- Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Reader (NEEDS AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK)