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Moving the object around with 都

I Have a Question
#1

Hi @YuQinCai, @Constance_Fang @Fiona and the ChinesePod team, my question is this:

I have a question about the use of 都，and where the object should go in the sentence.

So, I have picked up the sentences in the expansion section of the “whatever” lesson for 都， which are
这几件衣服我都想买 and 红色的和黄色的我都喜欢
In both of these, the object (the clothes or the colours) have moved up to the front of the sentence.

Is this a grammar rule when you use 都 or just a preference? If so, would 我都想买这几件衣服 and 我都喜欢红色和黄色 be equally correct?

#2

Hello: thanks for the question.

Have you tried our other lessons on "都“？


And your question, to place the object before the subject when used in a "都” sentence is to emphasize the objects you are talking about and therefore they are placed in the beginning of the sentence. Your examples are acceptable but sound awkward to a native speaker. In writing, it will be probably be marked “incorrect” if you are taking some kind of written test.

Hope this helps!

#3

When we use “都” in a sentence, we normally put the objects at the beginning of the sentence in order to emphasize all of the objects. So you can say 我想买这几件衣服 and 我喜欢红色的和黄色的. However, you would never say “我都想买这几件衣服” and “我都喜欢红色的和黄色的”. It’s just the usage habit.

#4

Yes indeed. Thank you for this addition to clarify the use of 都.

As an afterthought, we also use 都 like this:

（这）都是我的错！
That means “this is all my fault”, 这 can be omitted. Thus, it’s even possible to read sentences where 都 is at the very beginning of the sentence.

Susie