Learn Hardcore Chinese: Tā lián wǔfàn dōu méi chī, yīnwèi yìzhí zài kāihuì. - He didn’t even eat lunch because he was in meetings the whole time.

Subject + 连 + focused item + 都/也 + (不/没) + Verb In this sentence, 他连午饭都没吃 emphasizes that skipping lunch is already an extreme sign of how busy he was.

Why use 都 after 连, and can I use 也 instead?

Both 连…都… and 连…也… are correct.
Subtle nuance: 都 often feels more general/exhaustive, while 也 highlights the “even” flavor slightly more. In everyday speech, 都 after 连 is more common.
Examples:
- 他连午饭都没吃。
- 他连午饭也没吃。

Why is it 都没吃 and not 没都吃? Where do 都 and the negator go?

Place 都 immediately before the verb phrase, and put the negator after 都: 都不/都没 + V.
So: 他连午饭都没吃 is correct; 他连午饭没都吃 is ungrammatical.

Why use 没 instead of 不? Can I say 没有?

没/没有 negates completed or occurred actions: “didn’t/haven’t.” That fits this past non-event.
不 is for habitual/future/refusal: 他连午饭都不吃 = “He doesn’t even eat lunch (as a rule / refuses).”
没 and 没有 are both fine here: 他连午饭都没吃 / 没有吃 (没有 is a bit more formal/emphatic).

Why is there no 了 after 吃?

You don’t use verb-final 了 with 没. Negating with 没 already shows the action didn’t happen.
Compare: 他吃了午饭 (affirmative, completed) vs 他没吃午饭 (negated; no 了).

What nuance does 一直在开会 add? Could I omit 在 or 一直?

一直 = continuously/throughout (a span of time).
在 + V = progressive “be doing.”
一直在开会 = he was continuously in meetings (ongoing over that period).
Variants:
- 他在开会 = he is in a meeting (right now).
- 他一直开会 = he kept having meetings (often understood as back-to-back).
- 他一直都在开会 = stronger emphasis on “the whole time without exception.”

Does 都 mean “all” here?

Not here. With 连…都…, 都 is a focus particle meaning “even.”
When 都 follows a plural subject, it means “all,” e.g., 他们都没吃午饭 = “They all didn’t eat lunch.”

Do I need both 因为 and 所以? Is the order OK?

Two options:

Cause first: 因为…，所以…
Example: 因为他一直在开会，所以他连午饭都没吃。
Cause second (as in your sentence): main clause + ，因为…
Example: 他连午饭都没吃，因为一直在开会。
In the second pattern, you normally don’t add 所以.

Do I have to repeat 他 in the 因为-clause?

No. Subject omission is natural when it’s clear:

他连午饭都没吃，因为一直在开会。
他连午饭都没吃，因为他一直在开会。 (also fine)

Is 连 necessary? Can I say 他午饭都没吃?

他午饭都没吃 is acceptable and still gives a strong “not even lunch” feel.
连…都… is the canonical “even” pattern and sounds a bit tighter/clearer in emphasis.
Neutral statement without emphasis: 他没吃午饭。
Another “even” option: 他甚至没吃午饭。

Why is the object (午饭) before the verb here? Can I keep SVO order?

连 fronts the focused item: 他连午饭都没吃.
Neutral SVO is fine without 连: 他没吃午饭.
You can also topicalize for emphasis: 午饭他没吃 (“As for lunch, he didn’t eat”).

Could I use 正在, 着, or 开会中 instead of 在开会?

正在开会 = “in the middle of a meeting (right now).” With 一直, don’t say 一直正在; use 一直在开会.
着 isn’t used here: 开着会 is unnatural.
开会中 appears on signs/notifications (very written/formal), not in everyday speech.

Can I have two 都’s, like 他连午饭都没吃，因为他一直都在开会?

Yes. They have different scopes:

First 都 pairs with 连: 连午饭都没吃 (“even lunch”).
Second 都 with 一直: 一直都在开会 (“continually, without exception”).

What’s the difference between 午饭, 午餐, and 中饭?

午饭: very common, neutral.
午餐: a bit more formal; common in written language/menus.
中饭: colloquial/regional (heard in parts of Mainland China). All mean “lunch.”

How do I pronounce 一直? Why is it yìzhí and not yīzhí?

It’s yìzhí (fourth tone on 一, then second on 直).
Tone sandhi for 一: before a non–fourth-tone syllable, 一 becomes fourth tone (yì); before a fourth tone, it becomes second (yí). Alone or for emphasis, it’s first tone (yī).

Is 开会 used like a verb? Can I say 开了一个会?

Yes. 开会 is a verb-object compound meaning “to hold/attend a meeting.”

Progressive: 在开会 / 一直在开会
Counting meetings: 开了一个会 / 开了好几个会
Noun form: 会议 (e.g., 参加会议 “attend a meeting”)