How to use 连…都…
连 + Subj. + 都 (+ 不 / 没) + Verb
连…都… singles out a surprising case that makes the rest of a claim more striking. Put 连 before the focused person, thing, or event, and 都 before the predicate. The listener understands that if the claim applies even to this case, it is especially notable. Both affirmative and negative predicates work with the pattern.
The focused phrase can be the subject or an object brought forward before the predicate. Keep any remaining subject in a position that makes the roles clear. 也 is also possible in many such constructions. Do not translate English “even” by inserting 连 alone: the matching adverb is an important part of the ordinary pattern taught here.
Examples with pinyin and English
这个问题太简单了， 连三岁小孩都知道。
This question is so easy that even a three-year-old kid knows the answer.
这个汉字太难了， 连我的中文老师都不认识。
This Chinese character is so difficult that even my Chinese teacher doesn't know it.
他很可怜， 连他妈妈都不管他。
The poor child. Even his mother doesn't care about him.
她什么都放辣， 连汤都是辣的。
She put spice in everything. Even the soup is spicy.
What to remember
- Place 连 before the surprising case.
- Place 都 or 也 before the predicate.
- The focused phrase can be an object.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. 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.