Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Chinese grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about wǒmen dōu hěn hǎo.
What does 都 (dōu) do in this sentence?
It means “all” (or “both”) and distributes the predicate over each member of the subject. So 我们都很好 emphasizes that every person in “we” is fine. Without 都, 我们很好 just says “we’re fine” without highlighting “each one.”
Do I need more than one person to use 都?
Yes. 都 quantifies a set (2+ people/things), either explicitly (我、他、她都…) or implicitly via a plural like 我们/你们/他们. With a single individual, 都 is wrong unless there’s another kind of “set” word (e.g., 他什么都…).
Where should 都 go?
Put 都 after the element(s) it quantifies and before the predicate:
- 我们都很好 (We all are fine)
- 我和他都很好 (He and I are both fine) With time words, both are common: 现在我们都很好 / 我们现在都很好. Avoid 我们都现在很好.
Why isn’t there a 是 (shì)?
Adjectives function as predicates directly in Chinese. You don’t say “我们是好.” Instead, use a degree adverb like 很/挺/非常 before the adjective: 我们很好. Use 是 before nouns: 我们是老师 (We are teachers).
Does 很 (hěn) really mean “very” here?
Often it doesn’t carry strong “very” force in neutral statements; it’s a natural linker before predicate adjectives. In context or with emphasis/contrast, 很 can mean “very.” If you want clearly strong degree, use 非常/特别/挺/相当 etc.
Can I drop 很 and say 我们都好?
Usually don’t. Bare adjectives in modern Mandarin often sound contrastive/comparative (A is good, B is not). In everyday speech, say 我们都很好. You might hear 我们都好 in very clipped replies or poetry/headlines, but 很好 is the safe, natural choice.
How do I pronounce the whole sentence with tones?
Pinyin: wǒmen dōu hěn hǎo. Because of third-tone sandhi, 很好 is pronounced “hén hǎo” (the first 3rd tone becomes a rising tone). 们 is neutral (wǒmen), 都 is first tone (dōu).
What’s the difference among 很好 / 非常好 / 挺好 / 太好了?
- 很好: natural/neutral “(very) good,” often just “good/fine.”
- 非常好: clearly “very/very much” good, stronger.
- 挺好: “pretty good,” colloquial.
- 太好了: “so great/excellent!” strong praise/exclamation (the 了 is typical in positive use).
Does 好 mean “good” or “well” here?
Both are possible depending on context. After greetings, 我们都很好 = “We’re all well.” Talking about performance/quality, it’s “good.” You can add context words: 我们身体都很好 (We’re all in good health).
What does 们 do in 我们?
们 pluralizes pronouns (我→我们, 你→你们, 他→他们). It also pluralizes some human nouns when referring to a group collectively (老师们, 同学们), but not ordinary inanimate nouns (no “桌子们” for “tables”).
Does 我们 include the listener?
It can be inclusive or exclusive depending on context. Northern Mandarin often uses 咱们 for inclusive “we” (speaker + listener). So “we all are fine” to include the listener is often 咱们都很好.
How do I ask and answer this kind of sentence?
- Question: 你们都好吗？ (Nǐmen dōu hǎo ma?) Are you all well?
- Answer: 我们都很好，谢谢。你呢？ We’re all fine, thanks. And you?
How do I negate it, and what’s the difference between 都不 and 不都?
- 我们都不好: None of us is well (all are not).
- 我们不都好: Not all of us are well (some are, some aren’t). Scope matters: placing 不 before or after 都 changes the meaning.
How do I say “both of us are well”?
Use 俩/两…都:
- 我们俩都很好 (Wǒmen liǎ dōu hěn hǎo) Both of us are well.
- 我们两个人都很好 is a more formal/explicit version.
What’s the traditional-character version?
我們都很好. Only 们→們 changes here.
Can I add other adverbs like “now,” “already,” or modal words?
Yes. Keep 都 close to what it quantifies and before the predicate:
- 现在我们都已经很好了 (Now we’re all already fine).
- 我们现在都可能很好 (We might all be fine now). General order: Subject (+ time) + 都 + modal/degree + adjective (+ 了).
What’s the difference between 我们都好 and 我们都好了?
- 我们都好/我们都很好: a general state (we are all fine).
- 我们都好了: change-of-state; we have now become fine/recovered (e.g., after being unwell).
Can I emphasize “all” even more?
Yes: 全都, 全部都, or 都 alone with stress.
- 我们全都很好 / 我们全部都很好: stronger “every single one of us.”