How to use 不管…都
不管 + question word / alternatives，subject + 都 / 也 + unchanged result
不管 presents a range of possibilities and says that the main result holds across them. The first clause can use a question word such as who, where, or what, or it can name alternatives joined with 还是. The second clause then states the rule, response, or decision that does not change. The question word is not asking for an answer here.
都 or 也 usually marks the unchanged result before the predicate. Choose the subject position according to what is shared across the two clauses. 不管 is common in conversation and often sounds less formal than 无论. Keep this construction distinct from the verb meaning of not managing or not caring about something.
Examples with pinyin and English
不管你穿什么都好看。
No matter what you wear, it looks good on you.
不管怎么样，我们都要好好准备。
We must fully prepare no matter what.
不管你在哪儿工作， 都要交税。
You need to pay taxes wherever you work.
不管别人怎么想，你都要坚持。
No matter what other people think, you need to keep going.
What to remember
- Use question words to cover a range of possibilities.
- Connect explicit alternatives with 还是.
- Mark the unchanged result with 都 or 也.
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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.
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