都 meaning and stroke order
All; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even; already
How to write 都, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 都
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- all; both; entirely
- (used for emphasis) even
- already
- (not) at all
- capital city
- metropolis
How 都 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. City.
阝 gives the meaning and 者 hints at the sound.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 都
都 is built from 者 (zhě), which gives the sound, and 阝 on the right, which points to a city. Picture all the people (者) gathered in one city (阝), and you get both meanings: a capital, and everyone together, all.
As dōu, 都 is an adverb that comes before the verb and sums up a plural subject: 我们都是学生 (wǒmen dōu shì xuésheng) We are all students. As dū, it means a capital or big city, as in 首都 (shǒudū) capital and 都市 (dūshì) metropolis.
Common mistake: Learners often put 都 before the subject, as in 都我们喜欢, but it must go after the subject and before the verb: 我们都喜欢 (wǒmen dōu xǐhuan). Also, the right side is 阝, so do not mix it up with 部 (bù), which has 咅 on the left instead of 者.
Common words with 都
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 首都 | shǒudū | capital (city) | HSK 3 |
| 全都 | quándōu | all; without exception | HSK 5 |
| 大都 | dàdū | for the most part; on the whole | HSK 5 |
| 都市 | dūshì | city; metropolis | HSK 6 |
| 都会 | dūhuì | city; metropolis | HSK 7-9 |
| 大都会 | dàdūhuì | major city; metropolis | |
| 京都 | Jīngdū | capital (of a country) | |
| 都城 | dūchéng | capital city | |
| 大都市 | dàdūshì | metropolis; large city |
都 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 都
Learning 都 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 都
How many strokes are in 都?
都 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 都 mean?
都 (dōu) means all; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even; already. A common word with it is 首都 (shǒudū), meaning "capital (city)".
How do you pronounce 都?
都 is pronounced dōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 都?
The radical of 都 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 都 under this radical.
Is 都 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 都 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 都 read dū instead of dōu?
Read it dū when it means a capital or city, mostly in nouns like 首都 (shǒudū), 都市 (dūshì) and 京都 (Jīngdū). When it works as an adverb meaning all, already or even, it is dōu.
How does 都 mean already or even?
In patterns like 都十点了 (dōu shí diǎn le) it means already, often with a sense of surprise. In 连他都知道 (lián tā dōu zhīdào) it means even: even he knows.