HSK 2
Correct

都 vs 已经

/ dōu vs yǐ jīng /
Strokes
https://i.cchatty2.com/filters:format(webp)/fit-in/684x0/img/202005/都vs已经-Chinese-grammar-Cchatty-yyyy-1589851785.jpg

Formula

1
都 + Quantity + 了
2
都 + Verb + 了
3
都 + Adjective + 了

Definition

都 and 已经 both are Adverbs of Time (时间副词).  

 

1, 都……了, is used to strengthen the tone (such as to stress a late or long time, a large quantity, an old age, etc.)

 

2, 已经……了, is used to make a statement without strengthening the tone.

Example

都……了 and 已经……了
都……了, is used to strengthen the tone (such as to stress a late or long time, a large quantity, an old age, etc.)

已经……了, is used to make a statement without strengthening the tone.
1
zuò
wán
zuò
作业
de
shíhou
时候
dōu
12
12
diǎn
le
  
  
(
biǎoshì
表示
shuōhuà
说话
rén
rènwéi
认为
shíjiān
时间
tài
wǎn
le
  
  
)

It was already 12 o'clock when he finished his homework. (To indicate the speaker feels it is very late.)

2
zuò
wán
zuò
作业
de
shíhou
时候
jīng
已经
12
12
diǎn
le
  
  
(
shuōhuà
说话
rén
zhǐshì
只是
zài
shuō
jiàn
shìqing
事情
  
,
dìng
一定
rènwéi
认为
shíjiān
时间
tài
wǎn
le
  
  
)

It was 12 o'clock when he finished his homework. (已经 is used to state a fact. The speaker may or may not think it is very late.)

都 + Quantity + 了
都 + Quantity + 了
3
men
你们
cái
20
20
suì
  
,
dōu
kuài
50
50
suì
le
  

You guys are only twenties, I'm almost fifty.

4
Dōu
21
21
shì
世纪
le
  
,
hái
huì
不会
yòng
diànnǎo
电脑
  
?

It's already 21th century, why you can't use computer?

都 + Verb + 了
都 + Verb + 了
5
dōu
shuō
le
bàntiān
半天
le
  
,
shì
可是
hái
méiyǒu
没有
shuō
wán
  

She has been speaking for a long time , but she has not completed.

6
Fēipiào
飞机票
dōu
mǎi
le
  
,
zánmen
咱们
háishi
还是
  

I have already bought air tickets, let's go anyway.

都 + Adjective + 了
都 + Adjective + 了
7
Tiān
dōu
hēi
le
  
,
zěnme
怎么
hái
huílai
回来
ne
  
?

It's already dark now, why didn't she come back?

8
huíguó
回国
de
shíhou
时候
  
,
妻子
dōu
lǎo
le
  

His wife was old when he returned home from abroad.

都……了, used in negative sentences
9
men
我们
dōu
xiǎo
le
  
,
gāi
独立
shēnghuó
生活
le
  

We're not young now, we should be independent.

10
nǎr  
去哪儿
le
  
?
dōu
liǎng
nián
méi
jiàndào
见到
le
  

Where did he go? I haven't seen him for two years.

Exercise

Choose the best positions for 都.

 

1. A 他 B 30岁了,怎么 C 还没有 D 女朋友?

 

2. 我 A说了几百遍 B 了,C 他 D 还是没记住。

 

3. A 吃了三天 B 土豆了,我不想 C 再吃了 D。

 

4. A 快点儿 B 走吧,C 快 D迟到了。

 

5. A 饭 B 快凉了,快点儿来 C 吃 D 吧。

 

6. A 他 B 半个月 C 没来上课 D了。

 

7. 我 A 好几天 B 没好好 C 休息了。

 

8. A 她才25岁,B 有3个孩子C 了。