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

<h1 id="the-uses-of-question-words-with-dou-and-ye">The uses of question words with dou and ye</h1>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>什 么 O.</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>什 么 东 西</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>吃。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>shénme dōngxi</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>chī</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I eat anything. Or</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>什 么 O.</th>
<th>S.</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>什 么 东 西</td>
<td>我</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>吃。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>shénme dōngxi</td>
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>chī</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The question words 哪儿 nǎr where and 谁 shuí who can be used in the same way as 什么 shénme what.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>那儿 (O.)</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>哪儿</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>nǎr</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I go anywhere. Or:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>那儿 (O.)</th>
<th>S.</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>哪儿</td>
<td>我</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>nǎr</td>
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I go anywhere.</p>
<p>If the any or every word is the subject of a sentence, the resulting sentence patterns will be as follows.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>谁(S)</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
<th>O.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>谁</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>喜欢 吃</td>
<td>中 国 菜</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>shuí</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>xĭhuān chī</td>
<td>Zhōngguó cài</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Everyone likes eating Chinese food. Or:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>什 么 S.</th>
<th>都</th>
<th>V.</th>
<th>O.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>什么 人</td>
<td>都</td>
<td>喜欢 吃</td>
<td>中 国 菜</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>shénme rén</td>
<td>dōu</td>
<td>xihuan chī</td>
<td>Zhōngguó cài</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Everyone likes eating Chinese food.</p>
<p>The adverb 也 yě often precedes the negation 不 bù or 没 méi as demonstrated below.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>哪 儿(O.)</th>
<th>也</th>
<th>不 /没V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>哪 儿</td>
<td>也</td>
<td>不 去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>năr</td>
<td>yĕ</td>
<td>bú qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>什 么 O.</th>
<th>也</th>
<th>不 /没V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>什 么 地方</td>
<td>也</td>
<td>没 去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>shénme dìfang</td>
<td>yĕ</td>
<td>méi qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I didn’t go anywhere.</p>
<p>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:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>哪 儿(O.)</th>
<th>也 / 都</th>
<th>不 /没V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>哪 儿</td>
<td>也 /都</td>
<td>不 去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>năr</td>
<td>yĕ/dōu</td>
<td>bú qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I don’t go anywhere (nowadays). Or:</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th>S.</th>
<th>什 么 O.</th>
<th>也 / 都</th>
<th>不 /没V.</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>我</td>
<td>什 么 地方</td>
<td>也 /都</td>
<td>不 去。</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>wŏ</td>
<td>shénme dìfang</td>
<td>yĕ/dōu</td>
<td>bú qù</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>I don’t go anywhere (nowadays).</p>
<p>Assignments</p>