Cantonese 都 (dou1): also, all, and the words around it

都 dou1 is one of the busiest words in Cantonese. It covers both also and all, it sits in front of the verb rather than at the end of the sentence, and some words simply refuse to appear without it.

The short version都 goes in front of the verb: 我都要一杯, I want one too. It also means all, as in 佢兩個都係學生. 連 always drags 都 in behind the subject. 淨係 narrows to only, 又 is a repeat that already happened, 再 is one still to come, and 仲 says it has not stopped.

都 belongs to the verb, not the person

English hangs too on the end of a sentence: I want one too. Cantonese puts 都 in front of the action instead, so it is 我都要一杯. The word never moves to the front of the sentence, and it never trails at the end. The same slot is shared by the frequency words.

ngo5 dou1 jiu3 jat1 bui1
我都要一杯
I want one too
都 in front of 要
keoi5 loeng5 go3 dou1 hai6 hok6 saang1
佢兩個都係學生
Both of them are students
here 都 is all, not also

Words that will not appear without 都

連 is the clearest case. It marks the surprising member of a group, the even in even they do not know, and it always pulls 都 in behind the subject: 連佢都唔知. Leave 都 out and the sentence has nothing to lean on. 每 and 全部 behave the same way, which is covered alongside the counting words on the quantifiers page.

lin4 keoi5 dou1 m4 zi1
連佢都唔知
Even they do not know
連 requires 都

Only: 淨係

淨係 zing6 hai6 narrows the sentence to one thing and rules the rest out. It sits in the same slot in front of the verb, so 佢淨係識講英文 is they only speak English. Note the 係 inside it: this is not the identity 係, it is part of a fixed two syllable word.

keoi5 zing6 hai6 sik1 gong2 jing1 man2
佢淨係識講英文
They only speak English
淨係 in front of the verb
又 has happened, 再 has not

English uses again for both, which is why learners pick one and use it everywhere. Cantonese splits them by time. 又 looks back at a repeat you have already seen: 佢又遲到, they are late again. 再 looks forward to one that has not happened yet: 我聽日再嚟, I will come again tomorrow. Swapping them is understood but immediately marks the sentence as learner Cantonese.

keoi5 jau6 ci4 dou3
佢又遲到
They are late again
又 looks back
ngo5 ting1 jat6 zoi3 lai4
我聽日再嚟
I will come again tomorrow
再 looks forward

Still: 仲

仲 zung6 says the thing has not stopped. 佢仲未走 is they still have not left, and 佢仲喺公司 is they are still at the office. It also stretches to even more in a comparison, which the comparisons page covers.

Common mistakes

Putting 都 at the end

我要一杯都 copies English word order. 都 goes in front of the verb: 我都要一杯.

Dropping 都 after 連

連佢唔知 is not a sentence. 連 and 都 travel together.

Using 又 for something still to come

聽日又嚟 points at a repeat you have already lived through. For tomorrow you want 再.

Continue reading on the blog

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Cantonese sentence structure: a complete guide
Essential Cantonese words
100 essential Cantonese words and phrases for beginners
Cantonese lessons for beginners
Cantonese lessons for beginners
Cantonese vs Mandarin comparison
Learn Cantonese Chinese vs Mandarin: a complete comparison

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