How to use 凡是
凡是 + qualifying class / condition，(subject +) 都 / 就 / 一律 + predicate
凡是 establishes a class of people, things, or situations and says that a rule applies to every member meeting the description. It can introduce a policy, a generalization, or a broad personal preference. The emphasis is inclusive within the stated range, so the construction resembles every case that or anything that rather than a casual reference to one isolated condition.
Follow 凡是 with a noun phrase or a qualifying expression that identifies the class. 都, 就, or 一律 can appear in the following statement, according to its structure and emphasis. Make the scope clear and avoid implying that the grammar validates the rule itself. A broad claim may still require qualification when real-world exceptions exist.
Examples with pinyin and English
凡是报名的学生，都要参加测试。
Every student who signs up must take the test.
The qualifying phrase defines the group covered by the rule.
凡是借来的书，都要按时归还。
All borrowed books must be returned on time.
凡是 includes every item meeting the description.
凡是没有票的人，一律不能入场。
Anyone without a ticket is barred from entry.
一律 reinforces the rule's lack of exceptions within the group.
What to remember
- Define the relevant class after 凡是.
- Use the following clause for the rule covering that class.
- Keep grammatical inclusiveness separate from factual accuracy.
Practise the pattern
Use one example as a model. Change the people, objects or situation, keeping the grammar pattern in the same order. Read the explanation again to check how your sentence uses the construction.
Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation and examples written for Laowai using the grammar curriculum as a topic reference. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.