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.

连 Followed by Noun

Basic Structure

连 + Noun + 也 / 都 + Verb Phrase

Examples

• 这个 汉字 太 难 了 ，连 我 的 中文 老师 也 不 认识 。 Zhège Hànzì tài nán le, lián wǒ de Zhōngwén lǎoshī yě bù rènshi. This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it.
• 我们 家 人人 都 炒股 ， 连 我 奶奶 也 炒 。 Wǒmen jiā rénrén dōu chǎogǔ, lián wǒ nǎinai yě chǎo. Everyone in my family plays the stock market, even my grandma does.
• 你们 怎么 连 这么 简单 的 事情 都 做 不 好 ？Nǐmen zěnme lián zhème jiǎndān de shìqing dōu zuò bu hǎo? How can you guys mess up even the simplest thing?
• 我们 家 是 我 老婆 管 钱 ， 我 连 私房钱 都 没有。 Wǒmen jiā shì wǒ lǎopo guǎn qián, wǒ lián sīfàngqián dōu méiyǒu. Our family's money is managed by the wife. I don't even have secret stash.
• 你 怎么 穷 得 连 一 顿 饭 都 请 不起 ？ Nǐ zěnme qióng de lián yī dùn fàn dōu qǐng bu qǐ? How could you be so poor? You can't even buy one meal for someone?

连 Followed by Verb

The verb used in this structure is mostly one syllable verb.

Advanced Structure

连 + Verb + 也 / 都 + 不 / 没 + Verb（，就⋯⋯）

Using this type of sentence structure emphasizes "not even at all..."

Examples

• 我 连 见 都 没 见 过 。 Wǒ lián jiàn dōu méi jiàn guo. I didn't meet him at all.
• 你 怎么 连 想 都 不 想 ？Nǐ zěnme lián xiǎng dōu bù xiǎng? How did you not think about it at all?
• 他 连 看 都 没 看 ， 就 说 我 的 衣服 很 难看 。 Tā lián kàn dōu méi kàn, jiù shuō wǒ de yīfu hěn nánkàn. He didn't even look at them at all, he just said my clothes were ugly.
• 他 连 问 都 不 问 ， 就 把 我们 的 东西 扔 掉 了 。 Tā lián wèn dōu bù wèn, jiù bǎ wǒmen de dōngxi rēngdiào le. He didn't even ask at all, he just threw away my stuff.
• 你们 连 尝 都 没 尝 ， 怎么 知道 不 好吃 ？ Nǐmen lián cháng dōu méi cháng, zěnme zhīdào bù hǎochī? You guys didn't even taste it at all, how do you know that it tastes bad?

See also

• "Even" as "shenzhi"
• Expressing "every" with "mei" and "dou"
• "Not at all"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) (pp. 152)→buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 356-7)→buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 136) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 204-5) →buy