Collective Adverbs - 都1
范围副词 — 都1
The adverb 都 means 'all' and summarizes a group mentioned BEFORE it in the sentence. It always comes before the verb.
Structure
Subject (plural / group) + 都 + Verb / Adjective
Elements
都
How to use it
- The group summarized by 都 must be mentioned BEFORE 都.
- 都 always comes directly before the verb or adjective.
- For 'both', put the group first: I like both apples and bananas.
Examples
他们都会说中文。
tāmen dōu huì shuō Zhōngwén。
They all know how to speak Chinese.
苹果和香蕉我都喜欢。
píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo wǒ dōu xǐhuan。
I like apples and bananas (both).
我们都是学生。
wǒmen dōu shì xuéshēng。
We are all students.
每天都很忙。
měitiān dōu hěn máng。
Every day is very busy.
Notes and exceptions
- 都 comes BEFORE the verb, not BEFORE the subject.
- The group summarized (两个, 苹果和香蕉, etc.) must precede 都.
- 都 means 'all' or 'every'. In French, it refers to the city where the government and important institutions of a country or region are located.
Common mistakes
- *都人喜欢 → 所有人都喜欢: 都 is an adverb, not an adjective.
- *我喜欢都 → 我都喜欢: 都 comes BEFORE the verb, never after.
Practice quiz
Choose the best option for each sentence, then submit to view the correction.
1. 他们____会说中文。
(They all know how to speak Chinese.)
2. 苹果和香蕉我____喜欢。
(I like apples and bananas (both).)
3. 我们____是学生。
(We are all students.)
4. 每天____很忙。
(Every day is very busy.)