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

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* 生病 以后,爸爸 <em>什么</em> 酒 <em>都</em> <strong>不</strong> �能 喝 了。 <span class="pinyin">Yǐhòu nǐ yīnggāi <em>shénme</em> jiǔ <em>dōu</em> <strong>bù</strong> yào hē.</span> <span class="trans">From now on, you should not drink any alcohol.</span>
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* 生病 以后,爸爸 <em>什么</em> 酒 <em>都</em> <strong>不</strong> 喝 了。 <span class="pinyin">Shēngbìng yǐhòu, bàba <em>shénme</em> jiǔ <em>dōu</em> <strong>bù</strong>néng le.</span> <span class="trans">After dad got sick, he can't drink any kind of alcohol.</span>
* 老板 现在 很 生气,<em>什么</em> 人 <em>�也</em> <strong>不</strong> �见。 <span class="pinyin">Xiǎo chéngshì <em>shénme</em> dōngxī <em>dōu</em> <strong>bù</strong> guì.</span> <span class="trans">Things in small cities are not expensive at all.</span>
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* 老板 现在 很 生气,<em>什么</em> 人 <em></em> <strong>不</strong> 见。 <span class="pinyin">Lǎobán xiànzài hěn shēngqì,<em>shénme</em> rén <em> </em> <strong>bù</strong> bù jiàn.</span> <span class="trans">Things in small cities are not expensive at all.</span>
* 你 在 家里 怎么 <em>什么</em> <em>都</em> <strong></strong> 做? <span class="pinyin">Wèishénme nǐ  zài jiālǐ <em>shénme</em> gōngzuò <em>dōu</em> <strong> </strong> zuò?</span> <span class="trans">Why haven't you done anything at home?</span>
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* 今天 我 不 舒服, <em>什么</em> 东西 <em>都</em> <strong></strong> 吃 。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān wǒ bù shūfu, <em>shénme</em> dōngxī <em>dōu</em> <strong>méi</strong> chī.</span> <span class="trans">Today I'm not well, so I didn't eat anything.</span>
* 今天 我 胃 不 舒服, <em>什么</em> 东西 <em>�都</em> <strong>没</strong> 吃 。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān wǒ <em>shénme</em> dōngxī <em>dōu</em> <strong>méi</strong> chī.</span> <span class="trans">Today I didn't eat anything.</span>
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* 昨天 开会 的时候,她 <em>什么</em> <em></em> <strong>没</strong> 说。 <span class="pinyin">Zuótiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā <em>shénme</em> huà <em></em> <strong>méi</strong>   shuō .</span> <span class="trans">She didn't say anything at yesterday's meeting.</span>
* 昨天 开会 的时候,她 <em>什么</em> <em>�也</em> <strong></strong> �说。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān wǒ <em>shénme</em> dōngxī <em>dōu</em> <strong>méi</strong> chī.</span> <span class="trans">Today I didn't eat anything.</span>
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* 你 在 家里 怎么 <em>什么</em> <em></em> <strong></strong> 做? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ  zài jiālǐ zěnme <em>shénme</em> shì <em>dōu</em> <strong> </strong> zuò?</span> <span class="trans">How  come you haven't done anything at home?</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 09:52, 4 November 2015

什么... 都/也 (shénme... dōu/yě) is a pattern often used to express "all" or "everything." This pattern also works with other question words, such as 哪儿 (nǎr) and 什么时候 (shénme shíhou).

Basic Structures

什么... 都/也 (shénme... dōu/yě)

The structure is very clear, as many Chinese grammar points are. In this structure, 都 (dōu) is more frequently used than 也 (yě)。

Topic + 什么 + 都/也 + Verb/Adj.

Examples

  • 很 多 人 觉得 外国 的 东西 什么 好。 Hěn duō rén juéde wàiguó de dōngxī shénme dōu hǎo. Many people think that all foreign things are good.
  • 我 觉得 这里 的 菜 什么 好吃。 Wǒ juéde zhèlǐ shénme dōu hǎochī. I think everything is delicious here.
  • 中国 的 历史 爸爸 什么 知道。 Zhōngguó de lìshǐ bàba shénme dōu zhīdao. My dad knows everything about Chinese history.
  • 工作 的 事情 老公 什么 跟 我 说。 Gōngzuò de shìqing lǎogōng shénme dōu gēn wǒ shuō. My husband tells me everything about working stuff.
  • 家务活 我 什么 会 做。 Jiāwùhuó wǒ shénme dōu huì zuò. I can do every piece of housework.

Targeted Structures

Structures with a Noun

什么 + Noun + 都

什么 + Noun + 也

Examples with Nouns

  • 我们 什么 喝。 Wǒmen shénme jiǔ dōu hē. We can drink all alcohol.
  • 什么 衣服 是 黑色 的 。 shénme yīfu dōu shì hēisè de. All of her clothes are black.
  • 妈妈 做 的 什么 好吃。 Māma zuò de shénme cài dōu hǎochī. All of the dishes mom makes are tasty.
  • 我男朋友 什么 运动 喜欢 。 Wǒ nánpéngyou shénme yùndòng dōu xǐhuān. My boyfriend likes all kinds of sports.
  • 你 不 应该 什么 跟 他 说。 Nǐ bù yīnggāi shénme huà dōu gēn tā shuō. You shouldn't have told everything to him.

Negative Structures

Structures with 不/没

The negative structure simply adds a 不 (bù) or a 没 (méi) after the 都 (dōu)/也 (yě). Instead of "all" or "everything," this expresses "none" or "not any."

什么 + Noun. + 都/也 + 不

什么 + Noun + 都/也 + 没

Negative Examples

  • 生病 以后,爸爸 什么 能 喝 了。 Shēngbìng yǐhòu, bàba shénme jiǔ dōu néng hē le. After dad got sick, he can't drink any kind of alcohol.
  • 老板 现在 很 生气,什么 见。 Lǎobán xiànzài hěn shēngqì,shénme rén bù jiàn. Things in small cities are not expensive at all.
  • 今天 我 不 舒服, 什么 东西 吃 。 Jīntiān wǒ bù shūfu, shénme dōngxī dōu méi chī. Today I'm not well, so I didn't eat anything.
  • 昨天 开会 的时候,她 什么 说。 Zuótiān kāihuì de shíhou, tā shénme huà méi shuō . She didn't say anything at yesterday's meeting.
  • 你 在 家里 怎么 什么 做? Nǐ zài jiālǐ zěnme shénme shì dōu zuò? How come you haven't done anything at home?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books