HSK 3 grammar · new HSK syllabus
什么都, 谁都, 哪儿都: everything, anyone, anywhere
Question word + 都 means “every…”, and with a negative, “no…”: 我什么都不想吃.
Structure
- Question word + 都 / 也 + verb
- Question word + 都 / 也 + 不 / 没 + verb
How it works
Followed by 都 (or 也), a question word becomes “every” or “any”: 谁都知道 everyone knows; 他哪儿都去过 he has been everywhere.
With a negative it means “none”: 我什么都不想吃 I don’t want to eat anything; 我哪儿都没去 I didn’t go anywhere.
The question word goes before 都, not after the verb.
Examples
-
这件事谁都知道。
Zhè jiàn shì shéi dōu zhīdào.
Everyone knows about this.
-
我什么都不想吃。
Wǒ shénme dōu bù xiǎng chī.
I don’t want to eat anything.
-
周末我哪儿都没去。
Zhōumò wǒ nǎr dōu méi qù.
I didn’t go anywhere at the weekend.
-
你什么时候来都可以。
Nǐ shénme shíhou lái dōu kěyǐ.
You can come any time.
-
他怎么说我也不信。
Tā zěnme shuō wǒ yě bú xìn.
Whatever he says, I won’t believe it.
Words in these examples (23)
| 这 | zhè | this | HSK 1 |
| 件 | jiàn | (measure word for clothes, matters, items) | HSK 1 |
| 事 | shì | matter; thing (to do) | HSK 1 |
| 谁 | shéi/shuí | who | HSK 1 |
| 都 | dōu | all; both | HSK 1 |
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know (a fact) | HSK 1 |
| 我 | wǒ | I; me | HSK 1 |
| 什么 | shénme | what | HSK 1 |
| 不 | bù | not; no | HSK 1 |
| 想 | xiǎng | to want to; to think; to miss | HSK 1 |
| 吃 | chī | to eat | HSK 1 |
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend | HSK 3 |
| 哪儿 | nǎr | where | HSK 1 |
| 去 | qù | to go | HSK 1 |
| 你 | nǐ | you | HSK 1 |
| 时候 | shíhou | time; when (as in …的时候) | HSK 1 |
| 来 | lái | to come | HSK 1 |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 怎么 | zěnme | how; why | HSK 1 |
| 说 | shuō | to say; to speak | HSK 1 |
| 也 | yě | also; too | HSK 1 |
| 信 | xìn | letter; to believe | HSK 3 |
Common mistakes
-
✗我不想吃什么都。
✓我什么都不想吃。
Question word + 都 goes before the verb.
-
✗谁知道都。
✓谁都知道。
都 follows the question word.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 我今天 都不想做。
2. 这个问题 都会回答。
3. 我 都找了，没找到。