Learn Hardcore Chinese: nǐmen dōu zài jiā ma?

It marks that every member of the group referenced by 你们 is included—so it means “all” (or “both” if there are two). In this sentence, it scopes over the subject: “you all.” Note: 都 can also mean “even” in patterns like 连…都…, but here it’s simply “all.”

Where does 都 go in the sentence? Can I move it?

Place 都 after the subject and before the predicate/verb phrase.

Correct: 你们都在家吗？
Also fine with time/topic first: 今天你们都在家吗？ / 你们今天都在家吗？
Incorrect: 你们在都家吗？, 你们都在家吗？ (this one is actually the correct one; don’t move 都 after 在 or to the end).

Do I have to use 都? What changes if I drop it?

Without 都, 你们在家吗？ just asks whether you (plural) are at home; it doesn’t highlight totality. With 都, you’re asking whether every member of the group is at home.

How do I answer this naturally (yes/no/partly)?

Yes (all): 在。/ 我们都在(家)。/ 对，(我们)都在。
No (none): 都不在。/ 不在。
Partly: 不都在。/ 有的在，有的不在。

What’s the difference between 不都在 and 都不在?

不都在 = “not all are (at home)” → at least one person is not at home.
都不在 = “none are (at home)” → zero are at home. Examples:
我们不都在家，张三出门了。 (Not everyone is at home—Zhang San went out.)
我们都不在家，出去旅游了。 (None of us are at home—we’re traveling.)

Why use 在 and not 是?

Use 在 to express location (“to be at/in”). 是 links two nouns/adjectives and generally isn’t used to locate someone.

Natural: 你们都在家吗？
你们是在家吗？ adds contrast/emphasis (“Are you at home (as opposed to somewhere else)?”)
你们都是在家吗？ is only natural with a contrastive context, e.g., 你们都是在家上班吗？

Is there any nuance between 在家, 在家里, and 在家中?

在家: default, most common “at home.”
在家里: slightly more specific, “inside the house,” but commonly interchangeable with 在家.
在家中: more formal/literary.
All can work in this question; 在家 is the go‑to.

Could I use 呢 or 吧 instead of 吗?

吗: neutral yes/no question marker (what you have).
呢: marks an ongoing state; 你们都在家呢。 is a statement (“You’re all at home now”). 你们都在家呢？ can sound like surprised confirmation.
吧: soft assumption or guess: 你们都在家吧？ (“You’re all at home, right?”).
Don’t stack particles like 吗呢 or 吗吧.

Do I need a rising intonation with 吗?

No. With 吗, use normal statement word order and a typical falling (or level-to-fall) intonation at the end. A rising intonation without 吗 can also signal a question in casual speech: 你们都在家？

Any pronunciation/tone tips for this sentence?

Pinyin: nǐmen dōu zài jiā ma

你 nǐ = 3rd tone (often a “half‑third” in flow)
们 men = neutral
都 dōu = 1st
在 zài = 4th
家 jiā = 1st
吗 ma = neutral
No special tone sandhi beyond the usual half‑third for 你 here.

Do I need any measure words here?

No. 家 here is the noun “home,” not a counted item. 家 can be a measure word for businesses (e.g., 三家公司), but that’s unrelated.

Can I still use 都 if there are only two people?

Yes. 你们俩都在家吗？ means “Are both of you at home?” Using 都 with 俩/两个人 is very natural and clarifies that it applies to both.

What exactly does 都 scope over? How do I avoid ambiguity?

都 quantifies what comes before it in the same clause. In this sentence, it quantifies 你们.

Lists: 小王、小李、小张都在家吗？ (Are Wang, Li, and Zhang all at home?)
With objects, word order can change the scope:
- 你们把作业都做完了吗？ → “Have you finished all the homework?” (都 → 作业)
- 你们都做完作业了吗？ → “Have you all finished the homework?” (都 → 你们)

Can I use the A‑not‑A pattern instead of 吗?

For the verb 在, you can say 你们在不在家？ (colloquial). With 都, the A‑not‑A form is awkward: avoid 你们都在不在家？. If you want both “all” and a yes/no feel, use: 你们是不是都在家？

Is there a polite plural “you” like 您们?

您们 is rarely used. For polite plurals, use group terms: 各位 or 大家.
Example: 各位都在家吗？/ 大家都在家吗？

How would this look in Traditional characters?

你們都在家嗎？

Does 在家 mean “at your own home”? How do I ask if you’re all at someone else’s place?

Yes, 在家 defaults to each person’s own home. To ask about someone else’s home, specify:

你们都在他家吗？ (Are you all at his place?)
你们都在小王家吗？ (Are you all at Xiao Wang’s place?)