Sentence pattern · Band 2

每……都……: every single one

每 + 量词/名词 + 都

Every single one: 每 picks the group, one by one, and 都 sweeps them all up. 每天都 busy, every day without exception. The 都 is nearly compulsory, the broom that finishes the job; leave it out and the sentence stands there half swept.

Hear it in a sentence

我每天都很忙。Wǒ měi tiān dōu hěn máng.I am busy every single day.
每个星期六他都去看电影。Měi gè xīngqī liù tā dōu qù kàn diànyǐng.He goes to the movies every Saturday.
每个学生都有一本书。Měi gè xuéshēng dōu yǒu yì běn shū.Every student has a book.
你每天都上班吗?Nǐ měi tiān dōu shàngbān ma?Do you go to work every day?

Mistakes people make

Not this每天我很忙。Měi tiān wǒ hěn máng.Say this每天我都很忙。Měi tiān wǒ dōu hěn máng.

每 swallows every single one, and 都 is the stamp that proves it; skipping 都 leaves the sentence half dressed.

Not this我每天忙都。Wǒ měi tiān máng dōu.Say this我每天都很忙。Wǒ měi tiān dōu hěn máng.

都 stands right after the every phrase and before the verb; it never trails the sentence.

Words in this pattern

Quick answers

What does 每……都…… mean?

Every single one: 每 picks the group, one by one, and 都 sweeps them all up. 每天都 busy, every day without exception. The 都 is nearly compulsory, the broom that finishes the job; leave it out and the sentence stands there half swept.

How do you build it?

每 + 量词/名词 + 都

What is the most common mistake?

每天我很忙。 → 每天我都很忙。

每 swallows every single one, and 都 is the stamp that proves it; skipping 都 leaves the sentence half dressed.

HearMandarinTodayLearnPracticeReviewMePro

Pro, $49 once

Everything from Band 5 up, and your words as files

  • Hear every story beyond Band 4, line by line
  • The full 720 question test bank, every answer explained
  • Every band as an Anki deck, CSV, PDF and offline audio
  • The slang deck: 185 expressions with audio

This opens the website. The iPhone and iPad app is a separate purchase on the App Store. Read about the app.

Secure checkout by Creem. 14 day refund, no subscription, no account. See everything in Pro · I have a key