B1 · Grammar reference · ASGT1CIR
Expressing "already" with "dou"
都⋯⋯了 (dōu... le) is a pattern used to express that something has already happened, similar to 已经 (yǐjīng)⋯⋯了. However, 都⋯⋯了 is used more emphatically, implying that the speaker holds some sort of attitude in relation to the event and is not merely objectively stating the facts, as with 已经⋯⋯了. The two options can actually also be combined in the pattern 都已经⋯⋯了. Here the meaning is the same as 都⋯⋯了.
- Keywords
- 都 · 了 · already
- Used for
- Expressing attitude · Emphasizing
- Classification
- Adverbs · HSK2
Examples (10)
都九点了，快点起床！
都十二点了，你还不睡？
都二十一世纪了，你还这么想？
都一个小时了，他还在厕所里。
都一个星期了，还在下雨。
饭都凉了，快吃吧。
牛奶都坏了，扔掉吧。
我都说了三遍了。别烦我！
这个电影你都看过了，看别的吧。
他都道歉了，你别生气了。
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Summary, structure, classification, and adapted sentence examples draw from the AllSet Learning Chinese Grammar Wiki under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; changes were made. This noncommercial reference is based on an October 2023 snapshot.
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