Difference between revisions of "Expressing "already" with "dou""

Line 18: Line 18:
  
 
*<em>都</em> 九点 <strong>了</strong> ,快点 起床 !<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> jiǔ diǎn <strong>le</strong>, kuài diǎn qǐchuáng!</span><span class="trans">It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!</span>
 
*<em>都</em> 九点 <strong>了</strong> ,快点 起床 !<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> jiǔ diǎn <strong>le</strong>, kuài diǎn qǐchuáng!</span><span class="trans">It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!</span>
*<em>都</em> 十二 点 <strong>了</strong> ,你 <strong>还</strong> 不 睡 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> shí'èr diǎn <strong>le</strong>, nǐ <strong>hái</strong> bù shuì?</span><span class="trans">It's already 12am. Aren't you going to bed?</span>
+
*<em>都</em> 十二 点 <strong>了</strong> ,你 <strong>还</strong> 不 睡 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> shí'èr diǎn <strong>le</strong>, nǐ <strong>hái</strong> bù shuì?</span><span class="trans">It's already 12 o'clock. Aren't you going to bed?</span>
 
*<em>都</em> 二十一 世纪 <strong>了</strong> ,你 <strong>还</strong> 这么 想 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> èrshí-yī shìjì <strong>le</strong>, nǐ <strong>hái</strong> zhème xiǎng?</span><span class="trans">It's already the 21st century and you still think this way?</span>
 
*<em>都</em> 二十一 世纪 <strong>了</strong> ,你 <strong>还</strong> 这么 想 ?<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> èrshí-yī shìjì <strong>le</strong>, nǐ <strong>hái</strong> zhème xiǎng?</span><span class="trans">It's already the 21st century and you still think this way?</span>
 
*<em>都</em> 一 个 小时 <strong>了</strong> ,他 <strong>还</strong> 在 厕所 里 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> yī gè xiǎoshí <strong>le</strong>, tā <strong>hái</strong> zài cèsuǒ lǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's already been an hour. He's still in the bathroom.</span>
 
*<em>都</em> 一 个 小时 <strong>了</strong> ,他 <strong>还</strong> 在 厕所 里 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> yī gè xiǎoshí <strong>le</strong>, tā <strong>hái</strong> zài cèsuǒ lǐ.</span><span class="trans">It's already been an hour. He's still in the bathroom.</span>
*<em>都</em> 一 个 星期 <strong>了</strong> ,<strong>还在</strong> 下雨 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> yī gè xīngqī <strong>le</strong>, <strong>háizài</strong> xiàyǔ.</span><span class="trans">It's been raining for a week and it's still raining.</span>
+
*<em>都</em> 一 个 星期 <strong>了</strong> ,<strong>还在</strong> 下雨 。<span class="pinyin"><em>Dōu</em> yī gè xīngqī <strong>le</strong>, <strong>háizài</strong> xiàyǔ.</span><span class="trans">It's been a week and it's still raining.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 10:00, 19 November 2018

都⋯⋯了 (dōu... le) is a pattern used to express that something has already happened, similar to 已经 (yǐjīng)⋯⋯了. However, 都⋯⋯了 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.

Used before Time

Structure

When 都⋯⋯了 (dōu... le) is used at the beginning of a sentence, it will usually be followed with 还 (hái) or 还在 (háizài). This implies that the other party should stop some kind of action.

都 + Time + 了

Examples

  • 九点 ,快点 起床 !Dōu jiǔ diǎn le, kuài diǎn qǐchuáng!It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!
  • 十二 点 ,你 不 睡 ?Dōu shí'èr diǎn le, nǐ hái bù shuì?It's already 12 o'clock. Aren't you going to bed?
  • 二十一 世纪 ,你 这么 想 ?Dōu èrshí-yī shìjì le, nǐ hái zhème xiǎng?It's already the 21st century and you still think this way?
  • 一 个 小时 ,他 在 厕所 里 。Dōu yī gè xiǎoshí le, tā hái zài cèsuǒ lǐ.It's already been an hour. He's still in the bathroom.
  • 一 个 星期 还在 下雨 。Dōu yī gè xīngqī le, háizài xiàyǔ.It's been a week and it's still raining.

Used before Predicate

Structure

Subj. + 都 + Predicate + 了

The predicate part of the pattern can be a verb or an adjective.

Examples

  • ,快 吃 吧 。Fàn dōu liáng le. Kuài chī ba.The food is cold already. Let's eat.
  • 牛奶 ,扔掉 吧 。Niúnǎi dōu huài le, rēngdiào ba.The milk's gone bad. You should throw it away.
  • 说 了 三 遍 。别 烦 我 !dōu shuō le sān biàn le. Bié fán wǒ!I've said it three times already. Leave me alone!
  • 这个 电影 你 看 过 ,看 别的 吧 。Zhège diànyǐng nǐ dōu kàn guo le, kàn biéde ba.You've seen this movie already. Let's watch something else.
  • 道歉 ,你 别 生气 了。dōu dàoqiàn le, nǐ bié shēngqì le.He made an apology. Stop being so mad at him.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries