Learn how to use 都 to express “all,” “both,” and create different negation patterns in Chinese sentences
The Unique Adverb 都 (dōu)
都 (dōu) is a special adverb in Chinese that functions differently from most adverbs. While typical adverbs modify elements that come after them, 都 modifies elements that come before it. Its primary function is to “totalize” or indicate “all” of the nouns or pronouns it refers to.
Direction of Modification
都 (dōu)
“All of,” “both,” “everyone”
都不 (dōu bù)
“None of,” “neither”
不都 (bù dōu)
“Not all of,” “some”
1 Basic Usage of 都 (dōu)
The fundamental structure for using 都 is Subject + 都 + Verb/Verb Phrase. 都 must refer to a plural subject (multiple people or things) that precedes it, and it indicates that the action or state applies to all members of that group.
Basic 都 Examples
What Can 都 Modify?
都 can only modify plural or collective elements. These typically include:
都 cannot modify singular nouns or pronouns (我, 你, 他) unless they represent a collective concept.
Position of 都 in the Sentence
都 typically appears after the subject but before the verb. However, when the object is plural and needs to be modified by 都, it must be moved to the beginning as a topic.
Notice how when the object (这些书) is plural, it moves to the beginning of the sentence, creating a topic-comment structure.
2 Topic-Comment Structure with 都
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3 Negation Patterns with 都
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Practice Exercises
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