The "all" adverb "dou"

The adverb 都 is used to express "all" in Chinese. In Chinese, it's more common to mark this than in English. If the subject is plural, 都 is often expected.

Structure

Subject + 都 + Verb + Object

Remember that 都 appears after the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good Chinese - make sure you put 都 after the subject. Some examples:

  • 我们 是 德国人。
  • 他们 踢足 球。
  • 你们 学 中文 吗?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books