Advanced 都 (already / even)
all / both都 isn't only "all"
- You know all / both都 = "all". It has a second life: "already / even".
- all / both都十二点(completed / change)了! = "it's already twelve o'clock!"
- This all / both都 adds impatience or surprise.
all / both都 + … + (completed / change)了 = "already"
- With (completed / change)了, all / both都 stresses that a point has already been reached.
already都twelve十二点了!
- all / both都十二点(completed / change)了 = "it's already twelve — so late!"
Explore
Correct or broken?
Advanced 都 says 'already' (都十点了) or 'even' (饭都吃不下) — always before the predicate.
Practice
It's already twelve! ____ 十二点了!
都 + … + 了 = already (surprise): 都十二点了.
Practice
都 + … + 了 carries a note of surprise or impatience.
Yes — 都十二点了! = it's already so late!
Recap
Key idea
- all / both都 + … + (completed / change)了 — "already" (surprise / impatience): all / both都十二点(completed / change)了
- Also "even": so much这么simple简单all / both都improbable不会 (can't even do something this easy)
- A second sense beyond "all"
Read the full reference: HSK 5 grammar — Adverbs.
Practice
Besides “all”, this 都 can mean…
都十二点了 (already); 这么简单都不会 (even).