ChinesePath都 (dōu): "All", "Both", "Even" — and Where It Points
都 dōu is how Chinese says "all" and "both" — but it is an adverb, not an adjective, and that changes everything about where it goes. English attaches "all" to the noun ("all of them came"); Chinese puts 都 before the verb, where it totals up something already mentioned: 他们都来了 Tāmen dōu lái le — "they all came", literally "they all-came". Learn one placement rule and one direction rule, and 都 becomes easy.
The placement rule: before the verb, after what it totals
- 他们都来了。Tāmen dōu lái le. (They all came.)
- 作业全都交了。Zuòyè quándōu jiāo le. (The homework has all been handed in.)
都 cannot attach to the noun the way English "all" does — 都他们来了 is wrong. The things being totaled must stand to the left of 都.
The direction rule: 都 can point forward or backward
都 usually totals the subject before it, but it can also total a fronted object:
- 他们都去了。Tāmen dōu qù le. — points left to 他们: all of them went
- 什么菜他都吃。Shénme cài tā dōu chī. — points left to 什么菜 (moved to the front): he eats every dish
That second pattern unlocks one of the most Chinese structures there is: question word + 都 = "every / any":
- 什么都可以。Shénme dōu kěyǐ. (Anything is fine.)
- 谁都知道。Shéi dōu zhīdào. (Everyone knows.)
- 哪里都比这里好。Nǎlǐ dōu bǐ zhèlǐ hǎo. (Anywhere beats here.)
In the negative, the same pattern means "none at all": 什么都不想吃 (don't want to eat anything). The near-synonym pattern with 也 (谁也, 什么也) works the same way, mostly in negatives.
连…都: "even"
Add 连 ("even") before the extreme item, and 都 seals the emphasis:
- 连小孩都知道。Lián xiǎohái dōu zhīdào. (Even a child knows.)
- 他连名字都不知道。Tā lián míngzi dōu bù zhīdào. (He doesn't even know the name.)
The logic is a limiting case: if it holds even for the least likely member, it holds for all — which is why the "all"-word 都 anchors the pattern.
都 with 也, and friends
都 stacks with 也 for "also all, without exception": 后来加入的条款，他也都同意了 (the clauses added later — he agreed to all of those too). Its heavier synonyms — 全, 全都, 统统, 一律 — add formality or force (迟到者一律扣分: latecomers will all lose points, no exceptions), but for everyday "all/both", 都 is the word.
One more sense to recognize: in time expressions, 都 can mean "already" with a tone of surprise — 都十二点了，快睡吧 (it's already twelve — go to bed). Context keeps the two readings apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does 都 go in a Chinese sentence?
Before the verb, after the noun it totals: 他们都来了 (they all came). It never attaches to the noun directly — "all of them" as a noun phrase does not translate word-for-word into Chinese.
How do I say "both" in Chinese?
Also with 都 — Chinese does not distinguish "both" from "all": 我们都是学生 covers "we are both students" and "we are all students". If the number matters, say it: 我们两个都是学生 (the two of us are both students).
What does 什么都 mean?
"Everything / anything": 什么都可以 (anything goes), 他什么都吃 (he eats everything). With a negative it flips to "nothing": 我什么都没买 (I bought nothing). Question word + 都 is the standard "any/every" pattern.
How does 连…都 work?
连 introduces the extreme, least-likely case; 都 (or 也) marks the verb: 连小孩都知道 — even a child knows (so certainly everyone does). It is the regular way to say "even" about nouns.
What is the difference between 都 and 全?
Both mean "all"; 都 is the everyday adverb, 全 leans on completeness and often joins it (全都). Set phrases and formal registers prefer the heavier words: 全部, 统统, 一律 (each with its own flavor of "without exception").
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