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HSK 4 · VERSION 2.0#86

Expressing “Even” with “lián...dōu...”

连……都……

lián...dōu...

How it works

连……都…… (lián...dōu...) means “even...” It introduces an extreme or surprising case.

The pattern

连 (lián) + Noun / Phrase + 都 (dōu) + Predicate

Example sentences

他太忙了,连饭都没吃。

Tā tài máng le, lián fàn dōu méi chī.

He was so busy that he did not even eat.

这么简单的问题,连小孩子都会。

Zhème jiǎndān de wèntí, lián xiǎo háizi dōu huì.

Even children can do such a simple problem.

我昨天太累了,连话都不想说。

Wǒ zuótiān tài lèi le, lián huà dōu bù xiǎng shuō.

I was so tired yesterday that I did not even want to talk.

Key point

This pattern strongly emphasizes the unexpectedness of the example.

Source: HelloMandarin · Revised edition, 2026 · PDF p. 218.

Old_HSK_1-6_Grammar_Points_2.0.pdf

Old six-level teaching collection. This is an independent learning reference.

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