Ch 29 · Lesson 8Mandarin · Chapter 29 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
连...都/也: saying even
, even children know. needs or , the phrase sits before the verb (), and or comes after .
The short version
Even:
。Tā lián fàn dōu méi chī.
Why?Hide
To say 'even', put (lián) before the surprising thing and (dōu) or (yě) after it, then the verb. The (lián) phrase sits before the verb, so an object moves forward, and (bù) or (méi) comes after (dōu).
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The colours stay the same all page long:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Lián háizi dōu zhīdào. | Even children know |
。 | Lián tā yě bù zhīdào. | Even he doesn't know |
。 | Tā lián mén dōu méi guān. | He didn't even close the door |
。 | Zhèlǐ lián yí ge rén dōu méiyǒu. | There isn't a single person here |
Three rules: both halves, the phrase before the verb, and (bù) or (méi) after (dōu).
连 (lián) needs 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě)
English says "even" once. Mandarin needs both halves:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Lián lǎoshī dōu bù zhīdào. | Even the teacher doesn't know |
。 | Lián xiǎoháizi dōu huì. | Even a small child can do it |
。 | Tā lián xīngqītiān yě yào shàngbān. | He has to work even on Sundays |
Without (dōu) or (yě) the sentence is broken: is not Mandarin, (lián tā dōu bù zhīdào) is. In most sentences the two partners mean the same. (dōu) is the commoner, especially in positive sentences, so it is the safe default.
The object moves in front of the verb
The (lián) phrase must sit before (dōu), and sits before the verb. So an object leaves its usual place after the verb:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Tā méi chīfàn. | He hasn't eaten |
。 | Tā lián fàn dōu méi chī. | He hasn't even eaten |
。 | Tā lián zìjǐ de míngzi dōu bú huì xiě. | He can't even write his own name |
The (lián) phrase can also open the sentence, before the subject, and both orders are natural: 。 (Lián zhè jiàn shì tā dōu bù zhīdào.), he doesn't even know about this.
Not even: 不 (bù) or 没 (méi) after 都 (dōu)
The negative stays where it always is, straight before the verb, so it follows (dōu) or (yě). Pick (bù) or (méi) on the usual rule:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
。 | Wǒ lián tā de míngzi dōu bù zhīdào. | I don't even know his name |
。 | Tā lián mén dōu méi guān. | He didn't even close the door |
The order matters, because (bù dōu) is a different thing, "not all": 。 (Tāmen bù dōu shì lǎoshī.), not all of them are teachers. So is wrong; say (lián lǎoshī dōu bù zhīdào).
Going further: Not a single one: 连一 (lián yī) + measure word and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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