连...都/也 (lián...dōu/yě) — Even...
Emphasizing something surprising or extreme
Category: Grammar
The Rule
连 (lián) + [surprising element] + 都/也 (dōu/yě) + Verb. This structure means 'even [X]' and is used to emphasize that something unexpected or extreme is true.
Why This Matters
English 'even' is just a word you insert anywhere. Chinese 连...都/也 is a frame that wraps around the surprising element, giving it much more dramatic emphasis. It's like English 'even X...' but with the emphasis dial turned to 11. The element between 连 and 都 is what the speaker considers the most unlikely or extreme case.
Examples
• 他连自己的名字都不会写。(Tā lián zìjǐ de míngzì dōu bú huì xiě.) — "He can't even write his own name." [Emphasis: even something as basic as his own name!] • 我连一个汉字也不认识。(Wǒ lián yí gè hànzì yě bú rènshi.) — "I don't even know a single character." [Emphasis: not even ONE character (extreme case)] • 她连饭都没吃就走了。(Tā lián fàn dōu méi chī jiù zǒu le.) — "She left without even eating." [Emphasis: didn't even do something as basic as eating] • 连老师都不知道答案。(Lián lǎoshī dōu bù zhīdào dá'àn.) — "Even the teacher doesn't know the answer." [Even the most knowledgeable person doesn't know]
Common Mistakes
❌ 他甚至不会写自己的名字 (using 甚至 in the same way) ✅ 他连自己的名字都不会写 is more emphatic and idiomatic → 甚至 (shènzhì, even) exists but has a different grammatical role. 连...都 creates a stronger emphasis frame and is more common in speech. ❌ 连他不都知道 (wrong placement of 不) ✅ 连他都不知道 (negation after 都) → In 连...都/也 sentences, the negation (不/没) comes AFTER 都/也, not before it.
Quick Tip
连 = 'even' + dramatic emphasis. The thing between 连 and 都 should be the MOST BASIC or MOST UNLIKELY example. It sets the extreme case.
连 = 'even' + dramatic emphasis. The thing between 连 and 都 should be the MOST BASIC or MOST UNLIKELY example. It sets the extreme case.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 他甚至不会写自己的名字 (using 甚至 in the same way) → Correct: 他连自己的名字都不会写 is more emphatic and idiomatic. 甚至 (shènzhì, even) exists but has a different grammatical role. 连...都 creates a stronger emphasis frame and is more common in speech.
Incorrect: 连他不都知道 (wrong placement of 不) → Correct: 连他都不知道 (negation after 都). In 连...都/也 sentences, the negation (不/没) comes AFTER 都/也, not before it.
Quiz
What does 连 emphasize in 连水都没有?