Difference between revisions of "Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou""

Revision as of 09:43, 8 June 2013

"什么...都/也" (shénme...dōu/yě) is a pattern often used to express "all" or "everything".

The structure is very clear, as many Chinese grammar points are.

什么 + Noun. + 都

什么 + Noun. + 也

什么 + 都/也

以后你应该什么水果都吃。Later you should eat every fruit.
我什么电影都喜欢看。I like to watch all the movies. (implying that I like all the movies that come my way)
今天我什么工作都做了。Today I did all my work.
我什么都知道。I know everything.

The negative structure simply adds a 不 or a 没 after the 都/也.

什么 + Noun. + 都/也 + 不

什么 + Noun. + 都/也 + 没

以后你应该什么水果都不吃。Later you should not eat every fruit.
我什么电影都不喜欢看。I don't like to watch every movie. (implying I don't like movies in general)
今天我什么工作都没做。Today I didn't do any work.
我什么都不知道。I don't know anything.

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 * [[Common Chinese Patterns 330 (汉语常用格式330例) ]] (pp. 195)[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7802006473/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7802006473 →buy]
 * [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 286-8) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
+* [[Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed)]] (pp. 216-7) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887276709/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0887276709 →buy]
 [[Category:B1 grammar points]]