都
Reach for 都 whenever you want to say 'all' or 'both' about a group already named in the sentence. It sits BEFORE the verb and points BACKWARD at the subject, sweeping every member into the same statement: '我们都喜欢' (we all like it), '他们都来了' (they all came). Tiny word, daily use, can't really speak Mandarin without it.
Structure
[PLURAL SUBJECT] 都 [VERB / ADJ]
dōu
How to Think About It
都 is a backward-pointing scope marker. It always refers to a plural thing that has ALREADY been mentioned earlier in the sentence — usually the subject. You can't put 都 in front of a singular subject ('一个人都') because there's nothing for it to sweep. And the position is fixed: BEFORE the verb. Moving it elsewhere breaks the sentence. Think: 'subject(plural) ... 都 (sweeps) ... verb'.
Examples
我们都是学生。
Wǒmen dōu shì xuéshēng.
We're all students.
这些苹果都很甜。
Zhèxiē píngguǒ dōu hěn tián.
These apples are all sweet.
他们都不喜欢咖啡。
Tāmen dōu bù xǐhuān kāfēi.
None of them like coffee.
Common Mistake
Learners put 都 in front of the subject ('都我的朋友来了') because they translate 'all' directly. In Chinese, 都 always sits after the subject and before the verb. If you want to emphasize 'all,' you can also use '所有... 都...': '所有的朋友都来了.'
都我们去了。
我们都去了。
Don't Confuse With
也
也 = 'also', adds someone NEW to the group. 都 = 'all', sweeps everyone already in the group. '他也去' (he also goes) vs. '他们都去' (they all go).
全
全 = 'entirely / completely', often used with a single thing or amount: '全班', '全身'. 都 needs multiple members; 全 can describe a whole as one unit.
所有 ... 都 ...
Doubles down on 'every single one.' 所有 names the full set explicitly; 都 then sweeps it. Stronger than just 都 alone.
Practice
我们 ___ 喜欢中国菜。
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都
这些书 ___ 是我的。
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都
Put in order: [我的 / 都 / 来 / 了 / 朋友]
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我的朋友都来了。
Translate to Chinese: 'My family members all like dogs.'
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我的家人都喜欢狗。
Write one sentence about something a group of people share, using 都.
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Example answer: 我的同事都很友好。 (My coworkers are all friendly.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 2 Fluentide episodes: