Expressing "everything" with "shenme dou"

"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 and 什么时候.

Structures

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

什么 + Noun. + 都

什么 + Noun. + 也

什么 + 都/也

Examples

  • 你 不 应该 什么都 跟他说You shouldn't have told everything to him.
  • 什么 水果 喜欢 吃。I like to eat all kinds of fruits.
  • 今天 我 什么 工作 做了。Today I did all my work.
  • 什么 知道。I knew everything.

Negative Structures

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

Examples

  • 以后 你 应该 什么 不要 喝。From now on,you should not drink any wine.
  • 什么 电影 不 喜欢 看。I don't like to watch any movie. (implying I don't like movies in general)
  • 今天 我 什么 工作 没 做。Today I didn't do any work.
  • 什么 没跟我说。She didn't tell me anything.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books