Difference between revisions of "The "all" adverb "dou""

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The adverb 都 is used to express "all" in Chinese. In Chinese, it's more common to mark this than in English. If the subject is plural, 都 is often expected.
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{{Grammar Box}}
  
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The structure is:
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The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express "all" in Chinese. It's common to use 都 (dōu) in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.
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== 都 (dōu) for "All" ==
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
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Subject + 都 + Verb + Object
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Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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Remember that 都 appears ''after'' the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good Chinese - make sure you put 都 after the subject. Some examples:
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Remember that 都 (dōu) appears ''after'' the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 (dōu) at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good Chinese - make sure you put 都 (dōu) after the subject and before the verb.
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 我们 <em>都</em> 是 德国人。
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* 你们 <em>都</em> 认识 John 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> rènshi John ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all know John? </span>
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* 他们 <em>都</em> 踢足 球。
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* 他们 <em>都</em> 在 上海 。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>dōu</em> zài Shànghǎi.</span><span class="trans">They are all in Shanghai.</span>
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* 你们 <em>都</em> 学习 中文 吗？
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* 明天 我们 <em>都</em> 可以 去 。<span class="pinyin">Míngtiān wǒmen <em>dōu</em> kěyǐ qù.</span><span class="trans">Tomorrow we all can go.</span>
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* 你们 <em>都</em> 用 wiki 吗 ？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen <em>dōu</em> yòng wiki ma?</span><span class="trans">Do you all use the wiki? </span>
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* 我们 <em>都</em> 要 冰水。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen <em>dōu</em> yào bīngshuǐ .</span><span class="trans">We all want ice water.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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== 都 and 也 ==
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== 都 (dōu) for "Both" ==
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Chinese doesn't normally use a special word for "both" like English does.  It just uses 都 (dōu) as if it were any other number greater than one.  Chinese also doesn't have a special pattern like "neither / nor" for the negative case.  Just use 都 (dōu) and make the sentence negative. 
  
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If you're using 都 and 也 in the same sentence, put 也 first:
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
−
Subject + 也 + 都 + Verb + Object
+
Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
−
Some examples:
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This pattern should look familiar.
 +
 
 +
=== Examples ===
 +
 
 +
These examples follow exactly the same form in Chinese as the ones above.  The only difference is that here we don't translate 都 (dōu) as "all" in English; we translate it as "both," and for negative cases, we translate it as "neither."
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* 他们 <em>也 都</em> 是 泰国 人。
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* 我们 两 个 <em>都</em> 爱 你 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> ài nǐ.</span><span class="trans">The two of us both love you.</span>
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* 我们 <em>也 都</em> 喜欢 喝 葡萄酒。
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*  你 爸爸 和 你 妈妈 <em>都</em> 是 美国人 吗？<span class="pinyin"> Nǐ bàba hé nǐ māma <em>dōu</em> shì Měiguó rén ma?</span><span class="trans">Are your father and your mother both Americans? </span>
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* 你们 <em>也 都</em> 是 医学生生 吗？
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* 我 和 我 太太 <em>都</em> 不 吃 肉。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ hé wǒ tàitai <em>dōu</em> bù chī ròu.</span><span class="trans">Neither my wife nor I eat meat.</span>
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* 你们 两个 <em>都</em> 喜欢 中国 菜 吗？<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen liǎng gè <em>dōu</em> xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma? </span><span class="trans">Do you both like Chinese food? </span>
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*  她 和 她 老公 <em>都</em> 没有 工作。<span class="pinyin"> Tā hé tā lǎogōng <em>dōu</em>  méiyǒu gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">Neither she nor her husband has a job.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==See also==
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*[["Ye" and "dou" together]]
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*[[The "also" adverb "ye"]]
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== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
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{{Source|HSK Standard Course 1|108}}
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{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed)|53-4}}
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 1 (新实用汉语课本1)|88}}
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{{Source|Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar|35}}
  
 
[[Category:A1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A1 grammar points]]
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{{HSK|HSK1}}{{2021-HSK|HSK1}}
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{{Basic Grammar|都|A1|都 + Verb / Adj.|我们 <em>都</em> 住 在 上海。|grammar point|ASG9YK09}}
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{{Similar|"Ye" and "dou" together}}
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{{Similar|The also adverb "ye"}}
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{{Similar|Pronoun "mei" for "every"}}
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{{Similar|Emphasizing quantity with "dou"}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "every time" with "mei" and "dou"}}
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{{POS|Adverbs}}
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{{Used for|Expressing quantity}}
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{{Used for|Emphasizing}}
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{{Translation|all}}
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{{Translation|both}}

Latest revision as of 09:22, 20 April 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki-dou.jpg

The adverb 都 (dōu) is used to express "all" in Chinese. It's common to use 都 (dōu) in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.

都 (dōu) for "All"

Structure

Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]

Remember that 都 (dōu) appears after the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put 都 (dōu) at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good Chinese - make sure you put 都 (dōu) after the subject and before the verb.

Examples

  • 你们 都 认识 John 吗 ？Nǐmen dōu rènshi John ma?Do you all know John?
  • 他们 都 在 上海 。Tāmen dōu zài Shànghǎi.They are all in Shanghai.
  • 明天 我们 都 可以 去 。Míngtiān wǒmen dōu kěyǐ qù.Tomorrow we all can go.
  • 你们 都 用 wiki 吗 ？Nǐmen dōu yòng wiki ma?Do you all use the wiki?
  • 我们 都 要 冰水。Wǒmen dōu yào bīngshuǐ .We all want ice water.

都 (dōu) for "Both"

Chinese doesn't normally use a special word for "both" like English does. It just uses 都 (dōu) as if it were any other number greater than one. Chinese also doesn't have a special pattern like "neither / nor" for the negative case. Just use 都 (dōu) and make the sentence negative.

Structure

Subj. + 都 + [Verb Phrase]

This pattern should look familiar.

Examples

These examples follow exactly the same form in Chinese as the ones above. The only difference is that here we don't translate 都 (dōu) as "all" in English; we translate it as "both," and for negative cases, we translate it as "neither."

  • 我们 两 个 都 爱 你 。Wǒmen liǎng gè dōu ài nǐ.The two of us both love you.
  • 你 爸爸 和 你 妈妈 都 是 美国人 吗？ Nǐ bàba hé nǐ māma dōu shì Měiguó rén ma?Are your father and your mother both Americans?
  • 我 和 我 太太 都 不 吃 肉。Wǒ hé wǒ tàitai dōu bù chī ròu.Neither my wife nor I eat meat.
  • 你们 两个 都 喜欢 中国 菜 吗？Nǐmen liǎng gè dōu xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài ma? Do you both like Chinese food?
  • 她 和 她 老公 都 没有 工作。 Tā hé tā lǎogōng dōu méiyǒu gōngzuò.Neither she nor her husband has a job.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

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