比...都高
Reach for this when you want to say someone or something tops the entire group — 'taller than all of them,' 'more expensive than every other one.' It's the basic 比 comparison plus 都, where 都 ('all') sweeps in everyone in the comparison set. Without 都, 比 just compares two items; with 都, you're claiming the subject beats the WHOLE field. The adjective doesn't have to be 高 — any gradable adjective works (大, 贵, 快, 聪明).
Structure
[A] 比 [GROUP] 都 [ADJ]
bǐ... dōu...
How to Think About It
都 is the 'every single one' marker. Plain 比 says 'A > B'; adding 都 between 比 and the adjective says 'A > B, and B here means everyone in the group, no exceptions.' So 比所有人都高 isn't just 'tall compared to people' — it's 'taller than every single person in the room.' Drop 都 and the sweep disappears.
Examples
他比所有人都高。
Tā bǐ suǒyǒu rén dōu gāo.
He's taller than everyone.
这家店的咖啡比别的店都贵。
Zhè jiā diàn de kāfēi bǐ biéde diàn dōu guì.
This shop's coffee is more expensive than every other shop's.
今年的夏天比往年都热。
Jīnnián de xiàtiān bǐ wǎngnián dōu rè.
This year's summer is hotter than any previous year.
Common Mistake
Learners put 更 in front of the adjective ('比所有人更高') because they learned 比 + 更 + ADJ. With 都 doing the sweeping, you don't also need 更 — they're doing different jobs and stacking them feels redundant. 都 alone is what you want.
他比所有人更都高。
他比所有人都高。
Don't Confuse With
A 比 B [ADJ]
Basic two-item comparison without a sweep. Use plain 比 when comparing to one specific thing; use 比...都... when claiming the subject beats every member of a group.
最 [ADJ]
'The most ___' — superlative without naming the comparison group. Use 最高 when context makes the group obvious; use 比...都高 when you want to spell out the group explicitly.
比 [B] 更 [ADJ]
Adds intensity to a two-item comparison ('even more X than B'). Doesn't sweep over a group. Use 更 to dial up degree; use 都 to widen the comparison set.
Practice
Fill in: 他___所有人都高。
Show answer
比
Fill in: 他比所有人___高。
Show answer
都
Arrange: 高 / 比 / 他 / 都 / 所有人
Show answer
他比所有人都高。
Translate: This phone is more expensive than all the others.
Show answer
这个手机比其他的都贵。
Write one sentence using 比...都... to compare a person or thing to a group.
Show answer
我妹妹比我们家所有人都聪明。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: