Something About Dōu

How do you say 'both', 'all', 'both not/neither', 'all not', 'not both', 'not all' in Chinese? We only need one word, which is dōu, to cover all that! It's important to be flexible and to keep in mind that dōu has different translations depending on how you use it: it can mean "all", "every", but it can also mean "both", and, when in a negative sentence, it can also mean "neither". Let’s look at some examples.

1）Express "all" and "both" using dōu

The adverb dōu is used to express "all" and “both” in Chinese. It's common to use dōu in a variety of sentences where it would seem unnecessary in English.

Remember that dōu appears after the subject. A common mistake learners make is to put dōu at the beginning of the sentence (as "all" often appears there in English). This isn't good in Chinese - make sure you put dōu after the subject and before the verb.

Subj. + dōu + [Predicate]
wǒmen dōu xǐhuān chuān qúnzi. ——> We all like wearing dresses. 我们都喜欢穿裙子。	Note 1: Subject should be plural, such as “we, my dad and I, everyone, many people, these pants”. Note 2: In the 2nd sentence, we translate dōu as "both," and for negation, we translate it as "neither.” Note 3：bù/méi is placed after dōu for negative sentences. Note 4：To express that some people have something in common with the others, we can combine both dōu and yě. yě should always be placed before dōu.
wǒ gēn tā zuótiān dōu qù pǎobù le. ——> Both she and I went to run yesterday. 我和她昨天都去跑步了。
zhèxiē kùzi dōu bù hǎokàn. ——> (All of) these pants are not pretty. 这些裤子都不好看。
wǒ zài EM xué zhōngwén, nǐmen yě dōu zài EM xué zhōngwén ma？——> I am leanring Chinese in EM, are you guys all also learning Chinese in EM? 我在EM学中文，你们也都在EM学中文吗？

2）Express everyday using měitiān...dōu

Another common way to use dōu is when you're talking about something that happens regularly, such as everyday (měi tiān). Try to use dōu in these situations, even if it feels unnatural. (Fake it 'til you make it!)

Subj. + měi + time + dōu + [Verb phrase]
Wǒ měitiān dōu xué zhōngwén. ——> I learn Chinese everyday. 我每天都学中文。	Note that we don't use measure words for some of the time words above because they themselves are already measure words. For example: tiān, nián, zhōu etc.
Tā měi ge yuè dōu mǎiyījiàn xīnyīfú. ——> He buys a new item of clothing every month. 他每个月都买一件新衣服。

3）Express every with měi...dōu

The pronoun měi covers the meanings of "each" and "every." It should normally be used with a measure word and used with dōu in a complete sentence.

Měi + Measure Word + Noun + dōu + [Predicate]

Měi tiáo kùzi de zhìliàng dōu hěnhǎo. ——> The quality of every pants is very good. 每条裤子的质量都很好。

Měi ge yīshēng míngtiān dōu yào qù yīyuàn shàngbān. ——> Every doctor has to go to hospital to work tomorrow. 每个医生明天都要去医院上班。

Jīntiān měi ge xuéshēng dōu bù xiǎng xiězuòyè. ——> Every student doesn't want to do homework today. 今天每个学生都不想写作业。