我们都喜欢吃中国菜 (wǒmen dōu xǐhuan chī zhōngguó cài) means "We all like eating Chinese food." The word 都 (dōu) sits right after the subject and before the verb, showing that the action applies to everyone in the group. It's the standard way to express "all" or "both" in Mandarin, and it always refers back to a plural subject — never forward.
The structure is simple: Subject(s) + 都 + Verb. In 我们都是学生 (wǒmen dōu shì xuéshēng) — "We are all students" — 都 follows the subject 我们 (wǒmen, "we") and precedes the verb 是 (shì, "to be"). The same logic applies to 我们都喜欢吃中国菜 (wǒmen dōu xǐhuan chī zhōngguó cài): "We all like eating Chinese food."
One key rule: 都 never goes at the beginning of a sentence. It must follow the subject it describes. If you're talking about what "they" all do, 都 comes after 他们, not before.
In this 10-minute live conversation lesson, you talk out loud with AI teacher Mei Lin about what groups of people have in common. Mei Lin corrects your grammar and pronunciation in the flow of conversation and adapts to your level. You'll build sentences using the Subject + 都 + Verb pattern, saying things like "We are all students" or "They all like Chinese food." The lesson focuses on this one grammar point so you can use it confidently by the end.
You can try the first lesson free — no credit card required to start talking. If you'd like to reinforce the characters, the free Chinese Worksheet Generator lets you print handwriting worksheets for HSK 1–3 vocabulary. For more grammar patterns, explore the HSK 1 lessons hub or try another live lesson like Saying Who You Are (是 (shì)) or What Do You Have? (有 (yǒu)).
都 (dōu) goes right after the subject and before the verb. For example, in 我们都是学生 (wǒmen dōu shì xuéshēng), it follows 我们 and precedes 是. It never appears at the start of a sentence — it always refers back to a plural subject.
No. 都 (dōu) always refers back to a plural subject. It expresses 'all' or 'both,' so it needs a group to describe — like 我们 (we), 他们 (they), or two named people. Using it with a singular subject like 我 (I) doesn't work.
You'll talk out loud with Mei Lin about what groups of people have in common, building sentences like 'We are all students' and 'They all like Chinese food.' The lesson targets the Subject + 都 + Verb pattern and takes about 10 minutes.
Yes. This is an HSK 1 lesson focused on one grammar point: Expressing 'All/Both' with 都. You don't need prior speaking experience — Mei Lin adapts to your level and corrects you in the flow of conversation.