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 + Time Word / Quantity + 了

Subj. + 都 + Adj. / Verb + 了

Examples

• 都 九点 了，快 起床 吧！Dōu jiǔ diǎn le, kuài qǐchuáng ba!It's already nine o'clock. Get out of bed!
• 现在 都 二十一 世纪 了，你 还 这么 想？Xiànzài dōu èrshí-yī shìjì le, nǐ hái zhème xiǎng?It's already the 21st century and you still think this way?
• 你 都 快 三十 了，说话 还 像 个 孩子。Nǐ dōu kuài sānshí le, shuōhuà hái xiàng gè háizi.You're 30, and you still talk like a small child.
• 饭 都 凉 了，快 吃 吧。Fàn dōu liáng le. Kuài chī ba.The food is cold already. Let's eat.
• 牛奶 都 坏了，扔掉 吧 。Niúnǎi dōu huài le, rēngdiào ba.The milk's gone bad. You should throw it away.
• 他都 道歉 了，你 别 生气 了。Tā dōu dàoqiàn le, nǐ bié shēngqì le.He's made an apology. Stop being so mad at 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） (p. 178) →buy

Dictionaries

• 现代汉语词典（第5版） (p. 329 ) →buy

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