什么都 + Verb/Adjective
Reach for this when you want to make a sweeping all-or-nothing statement about things — 'everything,' 'anything,' or with a negative, 'nothing.' 什么 here isn't a real question; combined with 都, it scoops up every possible thing and then the verb tells you what's true of all of them. Great for talking about appetites, knowledge, opinions, and stores that sell everything.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 什么都 [VERB / ADJECTIVE]
shénme dōu...
How to Think About It
Pair 什么 (the question word) with 都 (all) and the question stops asking — it now sweeps. The 都 is what does the sweeping; without it the sentence reverts to a literal question. Add 不 or 没 right after 都 and the sweep flips to 'nothing': 什么都不吃 = eats nothing. The word order is fixed: object-style 什么 always comes BEFORE the verb in this pattern.
Examples
这家店什么都有。
Zhè jiā diàn shénme dōu yǒu.
This shop has everything.
他什么都不吃。
Tā shénme dōu bù chī.
He doesn't eat anything.
我什么都想试试。
Wǒ shénme dōu xiǎng shìshi.
I want to try everything.
Common Mistake
Learners put 什么 after the verb (its usual question position) and lose the 'everything' meaning. With 都, 什么 must move in front of the verb.
我都喜欢什么。
我什么都喜欢。
Don't Confuse With
什么都没 + Verb
Use 没 (not 不) when the verb is about past completion: 什么都没吃 = haven't eaten anything.
谁都 + Verb
Same logic but for people: 'everyone / no one.' 谁都知道 = everyone knows.
什么 + Noun + 都
When the sweep targets a category, insert the noun: 什么菜都喜欢 = like every kind of dish, not just 'everything.'
Practice
他什么_____ 知道。 (everything)
Show answer
都
今天我_____ 都不想做。 (nothing)
Show answer
什么
Arrange: 都 / 什么 / 喜欢 / 她 / 不
Show answer
她什么都不喜欢。
Translate: He buys everything.
Show answer
他什么都买。
Write a sentence using 什么都 about your eating habits.
Show answer
我什么都吃, 不挑食。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode. Press play to hear the sentence:
什么都有。
It has everything.
The Story of Trump and Cuba — Why the US President Is Watching HavanaBeginner
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 什么都 + Verb/Adjective in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start.