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wǒmen měitiān dōu hěn máng, dànshì yě hěn gāoxìng.

我们wǒmen　每天měitiān　都dōu　很hěn　忙máng，　但是dànshì　也yě　很hěn　高兴gāoxìng。wǒmen měitiān dōu hěn máng, dànshì yě hěn gāoxìng.
We are busy every day, but also very happy.
FromLesson 5inHardcore Chinese
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Questions & Answers about wǒmen měitiān dōu hěn máng, dànshì yě hěn gāoxìng.

What does 都 (dōu) do here? Is it “all (of us)” or “every day”?
  • In the pattern 每天都, 都 emphasizes regularity: “every day (we) are [busy].” It works like “each/every time, it’s the case that...”
  • With a group subject, 都 can also mean “all.” In 我们每天都很忙, the most natural reading is triggered by 每天 (“every day”).
  • If you specifically want to stress “all of us,” make it explicit: 我们大家每天都很忙 or 我们每个人每天都很忙.
Why is 很 (hěn) before 忙 and 高兴? Does it literally mean “very”?
  • Before adjectives, 很 often functions as a default degree marker that makes the sentence sound natural. It frequently doesn’t mean strongly “very”; it can just mean “is/are [adj].”
  • So 很忙 can simply be “busy,” not necessarily “very busy,” unless context or intonation adds strength.
  • To clearly say “very,” use stronger words like 非常, 特别, 挺 (…的), 真, etc.
Can I omit 都 or 很?
  • Omit 都: 我们每天很忙 is fine; it just loses the “every single day / invariably” feel that 每天都 gives.
  • Omit 很: 我们每天都忙 is grammatically possible, but bare adjectives as predicates can feel abrupt or contrastive. In everyday speech, including 很 is the safer, more natural default: 我们每天都很忙.
Where does 也 (yě) go and what does it add?
  • 也 comes after the (understood) subject and before the predicate: 但是我们也很高兴 or (with the subject omitted) 但是也很高兴.
  • It means “also/too,” adding another coexisting fact: besides being busy, we’re also happy.
  • Don’t say 很也高兴; the order is 也很
    • adjective.
Why use both 但是 (dànshì) and 也 (yě)? Isn’t that redundant?
  • 但是 introduces a contrast (“but/however”).
  • 也 adds an additional property (“also”).
  • Together they convey: “We’re very busy, but we’re also happy.” Without 也, it’s just a contrast; with 也, it’s “in addition, too,” softening the contrast and highlighting coexistence.
Could I use 可是, 不过, or 但 instead of 但是?
  • 但是: neutral, common in speech and writing.
  • 可是: more colloquial/emotional.
  • 不过: weaker “however/but,” often softening the turn.
  • 但: concise and a bit more formal/written.
  • All work here: ……，可是/不过/但也很高兴。
Do I need to repeat 我们 after 但是?
  • No. Chinese often drops a repeated subject when it’s clear from context.
  • Both are correct: ……，但是我们也很高兴。 and ……，但是也很高兴。 The second simply omits the repeated 我们.
Why is 每天 before 都? Can I say 我们都每天很忙?
  • 都 applies to whatever appears before it. The pattern is “(Subject) + (Time/Range) + 都 + Predicate.”
  • 我们每天都很忙 is correct: 都 scopes over 每天 (“on every day, [it’s true that]...”).
  • 我们都每天很忙 is unnatural; keep 都 immediately after the element(s) it quantifies.
Can I move 每天 to the front?
  • Yes: 每天我们都很忙 is fine and slightly emphasizes “every day.”
  • Time expressions typically go before the predicate in Chinese. End position (……很忙每天) is not natural.
Are 忙 and 高兴 adjectives or verbs? Do I need 是?
  • They are adjectives, but Chinese adjectives can function as stative predicates (like verbs).
  • Don’t use 是 directly before a predicate adjective: say 我们很忙, not 我们是忙.
  • You can use 是 for emphasis in a contrastive pattern: 我们每天是很忙，但是也很高兴 (“We are indeed busy, but also happy”).
Could/Should I use 虽然 … 但是 … here?
  • You can: 虽然我们每天都很忙，但是也很高兴。 This adds an explicit “although.”
  • Using 但是 alone is already fine; 虽然 just makes the concessive relation explicit.
Does 也 here mean “still”? Should I use 还是 instead?
  • 也 = “also/too.” It adds another fact.
  • 还是 = “still/nevertheless” (in this use), implying an unexpected persistence: ……，但是还是很高兴 = “but (we’re) still happy.”
  • Both are possible with slightly different nuance:
    • 也很高兴: “also happy (in addition to being busy).”
    • 还是很高兴: “still happy (despite being busy).”
What’s the difference between 高兴 and 开心?
  • Both mean “happy,” and are often interchangeable here.
  • Nuance:
    • 高兴: glad/pleased (often momentary or about a cause).
    • 开心: happy/cheerful, having fun.
  • You could say ……也很开心 with a very similar meaning.
What about 每天 vs 天天 vs 每一天?
  • 每天 and 天天 both mean “every day.” 天天 is a bit more colloquial.
  • 每一天 is more emphatic or literary: “each and every day.”
  • All fit here; 每天 is the most neutral/common.
Could I say 又忙又高兴?
  • Yes. 又…又… links two adjectives: 我们每天又忙又高兴 = “We’re both busy and happy every day.”
  • This frames the two states as coexisting, without the explicit contrast that 但是 gives.
Any tone-sandhi tips in this sentence?
  • Third tone before third tone changes to a rising second on the first syllable:
    • 也很 (yě hěn) is pronounced like “yé hěn.”
  • 很忙 is 3-2, so no 3→2 change needed.
  • Others stay as marked: 每天 (měitiān), 都 (dōu), 但是 (dànshì), 高兴 (gāoxìng).
Is the comma ， before 但是 okay?
  • Yes. Chinese commonly links two related clauses with a comma: ……，但是…….
  • In more formal writing, a semicolon ； can also be used, but the comma is very common and correct.

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