Advanced 都 (already / even)

The group is still working at midnight

• A teammate looks at the clock: already都dōutwelve十二点shí èr diǎn(completed / change)了le，tomorrow明天míng tiānagain / then再zàito make做zuò(suggestion)吧ba！ — “It is already twelve; let us continue tomorrow!” already都dōu presents the time as later than the speaker expected or wanted.
• Compare we / us我们wǒ menalready都dōuto come来lái(completed / change)了le — “We have all arrived.” The same character can express a reached point, “even,” or “all”; read what it applies to.

Emphasise a point already reached

• already都dōu + time or reached state + (completed / change)了le often adds surprise, urgency or another evaluation: already都dōutwelve十二点shí èr diǎn(completed / change)了le / food饭fànalready都dōucool / cold凉liáng(completed / change)了le。
• already已经yǐ jīngtwelve十二点shí èr diǎn(completed / change)了le also reports that it is already twelve. already都dōu often adds emphasis, but the exact attitude depends on the context and voice.

already都dōutwelve十二点shí èr diǎn了le！

Put an unexpected item in focus

• he他tāanxious急jí(degree marker)得defood饭fànalready都dōucannot eat吃不下chī bu xià。 — “He is so anxious that he cannot even eat.” Eating is presented as something you would normally expect him to manage.
• so much这么zhè mesimple简单jiǎn dān(modifier / structural particle)的dequestion / problem题tíalready都dōucannot do / do not know how不会bú huìto make做zuò。 — “Cannot even solve such an easy question.” This use is not a clock-time statement and does not mean all questions.

he他tāso anxious that急得jí defood饭fàneven都dōucannot eat吃不下chī bu xià。

Check the item before already都dōu

• we / us我们wǒ menalready都dōuto come来lái(completed / change)了le refers to every member of the relevant “we” group. even Xiao Li连小李lián xiǎo lǐalready都dōuto come来lái(completed / change)了le singles out Xiao Li as an unexpected participant: “Even Xiao Li came.”
• already都dōu does not always begin the sentence. food饭fànalready都dōucool / cold凉liáng(completed / change)了le and we / us我们wǒ menalready都dōuto come来lái(completed / change)了le put the topic or subject before it; do not copy one time expression into every sentence pattern.

Contrast a reached point with an ongoing state

• already都dōutwelve十二点shí èr diǎn(completed / change)了le can remind a friend that it is already late. he他tāstill / also还hái(ongoing action)在zàito work工作gōng zuò(and …? / softener)呢ne says he is still working; the state continues.
• Both can appear in one exchange: already都dōutwelve十二点shí èr diǎn(completed / change)了le，he他tāstill / also还hái(ongoing action)在zàito work工作gōng zuò(and …? / softener)呢ne。 — “It is already twelve, and he is still working.” The words contribute different information.

Choose the meaning from the whole sentence

• Identify the relevant group, reached point or unexpected item. Then translate the relation instead of replacing every already都dōu with “all.”
• To express a complaint or surprise accurately, keep the context. The character alone does not prove that the speaker is angry.

Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Adverbs.