都 dōu

都（dōu）means “all; both (sums up the preceding items)”. The adverb 都 means "all/both" and totals up what comes before it. Formation: 主语 + 都 + 动词/形容词

all; both (sums up the preceding items)

HSK1

Formation

主语 + 都 + 动词/形容词

Explanation

The adverb 都 means "all/both" and totals up what comes before it. It goes after the subject and before the verb. The word it sums up must appear earlier in the sentence, not after 都.

Examples

大家 都 来了。
dàjiā dōu lái le.
Everyone has come.
我们 都 是学生。
wǒmen dōu shì xuésheng.
We are all students.

Note

The thing 都 totals must come before it; you can't say 都 + a plural noun that follows.

FAQ

都 — what does it mean and how is it used?

all; both (sums up the preceding items). The adverb 都 means "all/both" and totals up what comes before it. It goes after the subject and before the verb. The word it sums up must appear earlier in the sentence, not after 都.

都 — how do you form it?

主语 + 都 + 动词/形容词

都 — any usage notes?

The thing 都 totals must come before it; you can't say 都 + a plural noun that follows.

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