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)."
Subj. + 都 + Verb + Obj.
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). Eventually it will become more natural.
- 很 多 地方 都 有 WiFi。A lot of places have WiFi.
- 我 的 很 多 朋友 都 有 车。A lot of my friends have cars.
- 很 多 美国人 都 喜欢 喝 咖啡 。 A lot of Americans like drinking coffee.
- 很 多 小孩 都 不 喜欢 上学。A lot of kids don't like to go to school.
- 很 多 女孩 都 想 找 有钱 的 男朋友。A lot of girls want to find a rich boyfriend.
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.
- 大家 都 来 了 吗？Is everyone here?
- 大家 都 应该 知道。Everyone should know.
- 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 喜欢 吃辣 吗？Does everyone like eating spicy food?
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.
- 老师 每天 都 迟到。 The teacher comes late every day.
- 她 每天 都 不 吃 早饭。 Every day, she eats no breakfast.
- 我 女朋友 每天 都 上 淘宝 。 (Taobao is China's biggest online shopping website)My girlfriend goes on Taobao every day.
- 妈妈 每天 都 给 我们 做 晚饭。 Mom cooks dinner for us 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):
- 美国人 都 说 英文。 American people all speak English.
- 我们 五 个 人 都 去。 All five of us are going.
- 四川人 都 喜欢 吃辣。Sichuanese people like eating spicy food.
- 我 的 家人 都 没 去 过 中国。 None of my family members has been to China.
- 我 的 学生 都 喜欢 问 问题。 My students all like to ask questions.
