Chinese-ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/MD/Grammar/docs/g15.md

The uses of question words with dou and ye

These constructions are used for general categorisation. They can describe how a particular action applies to a general object, as in 我什么东西都吃 wŏ shénme dōngxi dōu chī I eat anything; 我哪儿都去 wŏ năr dōu qù I go anywhere. They can also describe people in general doing a particular type of thing, as in 谁都喜欢吃中国菜 shuí dōu xĭhuān chī Zhōngguó cài everyone likes eating Chinese food.

The question word 什么 shénme what is placed before a noun to imply any or every, and can refer to the subject or object of a sentence. If 什么 shénme any or every is used as the object, it should be placed before the adverb 都 dōu both, all, and can be placed before or after the subject of a sentence. The adverb 都 dōu is placed before the verb, as illustrated below.

S.	什 么 O.	都	V.
我	什 么 东 西	都	吃。
wŏ	shénme dōngxi	dōu	chī

I eat anything. Or

什 么 O.	S.	都	V.
什 么 东 西	我	都	吃。
shénme dōngxi	wŏ	dōu	chī

The question words 哪儿 nǎr where and 谁 shuí who can be used in the same way as 什么 shénme what.

S.	那儿 (O.)	都	V.
我	哪儿	都	去。
wŏ	nǎr	dōu	qù

I go anywhere. Or:

那儿 (O.)	S.	都	V.
哪儿	我	都	去。
nǎr	wŏ	dōu	qù

I go anywhere.

If the any or every word is the subject of a sentence, the resulting sentence patterns will be as follows.

谁(S)	都	V.	O.
谁	都	喜欢 吃	中 国 菜
shuí	dōu	xĭhuān chī	Zhōngguó cài

Everyone likes eating Chinese food. Or:

什 么 S.	都	V.	O.
什么 人	都	喜欢 吃	中 国 菜
shénme rén	dōu	xihuan chī	Zhōngguó cài

Everyone likes eating Chinese food.

The adverb 也 yě often precedes the negation 不 bù or 没 méi as demonstrated below.

S.	哪 儿(O.)	也	不 /没V.
我	哪 儿	也	不 去。
wŏ	năr	yĕ	bú qù

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).

S.	什 么 O.	也	不 /没V.
我	什 么 地方	也	没 去。
wŏ	shénme dìfang	yĕ	méi qù

I didn’t go anywhere.

The adverb 也 yě is usually used in negative sentences as above, while the adverb 都 dōu can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences, such as:

S.	哪 儿(O.)	也 / 都	不 /没V.
我	哪 儿	也 /都	不 去。
wŏ	năr	yĕ/dōu	bú qù

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays). Or:

S.	什 么 O.	也 / 都	不 /没V.
我	什 么 地方	也 /都	不 去。
wŏ	shénme dìfang	yĕ/dōu	bú qù

I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).

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