都 (dōu) is one of those words that on the surface may seem simple, but actually has many different subtle uses. In this article, we will look at using 都 (dōu) to emphasize quantity.

Structure

You can use 都 (dōu) to emphasize the large quantity of something. The subject should be some sort of large group (like a majority of people or things), e.g. 很多人 (hěn duō rén) or 大家 (dàjiā).

Examples with 很多 (hěn duō)

First let's look at some typical examples using 很多 (hěn duō) to emphasize that it's "a lot." Note that in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). If you remember to follow the rule and keep using the 都 (dōu), eventually it will become more natural for you too.

很多 地方都有 wifi。Hěn duō dìfang dōu yǒu wifi.A lot of places have wifi.
我的 很多 朋友都有车。Wǒ de hěn duō péngyou dōu yǒu chē.A lot of my friends have cars.
很多 美国人都喜欢喝咖啡。 Hěn duō Měiguó rén dōu xǐhuan hē kāfēi.A lot of Americans like drinking coffee.
很多 孩子都不喜欢上学。Hěn duō háizi dōu bù xǐhuan shàngxué.A lot of kids don't like to go to school.
很多 年轻人都想在大城市工作。Hěn duō niánqīng rén dōu xiǎng zài dà chéngshì gōngzuò.A lot of young people want to go to work in big cities.

Examples with 大家 (dàjiā)

Now let's look at some examples using 大家 (dàjiā) or "everyone." Again, in English, it would be totally redundant and unnecessary to add "all" into these sentences, but in Chinese it's totally natural (and kind of weird not to). You just have to get used to it.

大家都来了吗？Dàjiā dōu lái le ma?Is everyone here?
大家都应该知道。Dàjiā dōu yīnggāi zhīdào.Everyone should know.
大家都说你很聪明。Dàjiā dōu shuō nǐ hěn cōngming.Everyone says you're smart.
大家都忘了他的名字。Dàjiā dōu wàng le tā de míngzi.Everyone forgot his name.
大家都喜欢吃辣吗？Dàjiā dōu xǐhuan chī là ma?Does everyone like eating spicy food?

Examples with 每天 (měi tiān)

One other common way to use 都 (dōu) is when you're talking about something that happens really often, such as "every day": 每天 (měi tiān). Use 都 (dōu) here in Chinese, even if it feels unnatural. (Fake it 'til you make it!)

我每天都要上班。 Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào shàngbān.I have to go to work every day.
老师每天都迟到。 Lǎoshī měi tiān dōu chídào. The teacher comes late every day.
她每天都不吃早饭。 Tā měi tiān dōu bù chī zǎofàn.Every day, she does not eat breakfast.
我女朋友每天都上淘宝。 Taobao is China's biggest online shopping website.Wǒ nǚpéngyou měi tiān dōu shàng Táobǎo.My girlfriend goes on Taobao every day.
妈妈每天都给我们做晚饭。 Māma měi tiān dōu gěi wǒmen zuò wǎnfàn.Mom cooks dinner for us every day.

Other Examples

Here are some other examples that don't use 很多 (hěn duō) or 大家 (dàjiā) or 每天 (měi tiān), but are still quite typical:

美国人都说英文。Měiguó rén dōu shuō Yīngwén.Americans all speak English.
我们五个人都去。 Wǒmen wǔ gè rén dōu qù.All five of us are going.
四川人都喜欢吃辣。Sìchuān rén dōu xǐhuan chī là.Sichuanese people all like eating spicy food.
我的家人都没去过中国。Wǒ de jiārén dōu méi qù guo Zhōngguó.None of my family members has been to China.
我的学生都喜欢问问题。 Wǒ de xuéshēng dōu xǐhuan wèn wèntí.My students all like to ask questions.

Structure

Examples with 很多 (hěn duō)

Examples with 大家 (dàjiā)

Examples with 每天 (měi tiān)

Other Examples

See also

Sources and further reading

Books