How to Say “Even” with 连……都 (lián… dōu)
连……都 (lián… dōu) is how Chinese says “even,” flagging something surprising or extreme. Unlike the single English word, it comes in two halves you must keep together: 连 + [the surprising item] + 都 + Verb (连小孩都知道, “even a kid knows”). With an object, the object moves to the front, right after 连 (他连狗肉都吃, “he even eats dog meat”).
Why this trips learners up
English marks a surprise with one little word, “even”: even a kid knows that, he even eats dog meat. So when you learn how to say “even” in Chinese, the surprise is that it takes two words working as a pair: 连 (lián) … 都 (dōu) …. 连 goes in front of the surprising item and 都 goes in front of the verb, and you can’t drop either one. Miss the 都 and the sentence simply falls apart.
The first use puts 连…都 around a subject you’d least expect: 连 + Subject + 都 (+ 不 / 没) + Verb. 这题太简单了，连小孩都知道答案 (“this is so easy that even a kid knows the answer”), 这个字太难，连老师都不认识 (“this character is so hard that even the teacher doesn’t know it”). The point is always the same: if even this unlikely person does, or doesn’t do, it, that tells you something.
The second use puts 连…都 around an object, and here the word order shifts: the object moves to the front, right after 连, instead of sitting after the verb. So “he even eats dog meat” is 他连狗肉都吃, not 他吃连狗肉. 你连最好的朋友都不相信？(“you don’t even trust your best friend?”), 他连饭都没吃 (“he hasn’t even eaten”). One extra rule: if the thing after 连 is a whole clause rather than a noun, it has to contain a question word, 你连她叫什么都不知道 (“you don’t even know what she’s called”).
Two things to hold onto. First, both halves are non-negotiable: 连小孩知道答案 is wrong; it has to be 连小孩都知道答案. Any negator sits after 都, not before 连: 连饭都没吃. Second, 也 can stand in for 都 (连…也…), but with 连 the usual partner is 都, so stick with 都 while the pattern settles in. The whole construction carries feeling, surprise, disbelief, sometimes a jab (“you don’t even know her name?!”), so it’s what you reach for when a flat statement isn’t pointed enough.
One related note: 都 can carry that “even” feeling on its own, without 连, most often before a 能 / 会 of surprising reach: 我都能闻见面包的香味 (“I can even smell the bread”), 我都能猜到你要说什么 (“I can even guess what you’re about to say”). It’s the same emphatic 都 (close to 甚至, “even to the point that”), just standing alone rather than paired with 连.
The structure
Colour key
Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.
Examples in context
Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.
Tap a word to see its grammatical role.
lián 连 Pattern xiǎohái 小孩 Subject dōu 都 Pattern zhīdào 知道 Verb dá’àn 答案 Object
Even a kid knows the answer. (连 + subject + 都: the least likely person still does it.)
lián 连 Pattern lǎoshī 老师 Subject dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation rènshi 认识 Verb zhège zì 这个字 Object
Even the teacher doesn’t recognize this character. (连…都 + 不, around a surprising subject.)
tā 他 Subject lián 连 Pattern gǒu ròu 狗肉 Object dōu 都 Pattern chī 吃 Verb
He even eats dog meat. (连 + object + 都: 狗肉 moves to the front, right after 连.)
lián 连 Pattern bà mā 爸妈 Subject dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation guǎn 管 Verb tā 他 Object
Even his parents don’t look after him. (连…都不: the emphasis lands on how unexpected this is.)
nǐ 你 Subject lián 连 Pattern zuì hǎo de 最好的 Adjective péngyou 朋友 Object dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation xiāngxìn 相信 Verb
You don’t even trust your best friend? (连…都不 around a fronted object, with a note of disbelief.)
tā 他 Subject lián 连 Pattern fàn 饭 Object dōu 都 Pattern méi 没 Negation chī 吃 Verb
He hasn’t even eaten. (连饭都没吃: the negator 没 sits after 都, before the verb.)
nǐ 你 Subject lián 连 Pattern tā 她 Subject jiào 叫 Verb shénme 什么 Question dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation zhīdào 知道 Verb
You don’t even know what she’s called? (A clause after 连 needs a question word, here 什么.)
nǐ 你 Subject lián 连 Pattern zìjǐ 自己 Subject zhù 住 Verb zài 在 Function word nǎlǐ 哪里 Question dōu 都 Pattern wàng 忘 Verb le 了 Function word
You even forgot where you live? (连…都 around a clause with the question word 哪里.)
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 连…都 is a pair, and 都 can’t be dropped. 连小孩知道答案 falls apart; it has to be 连小孩都知道答案. English “even” is one word, but Chinese needs both halves of the frame.
Why it happens: With an object, the object moves to the front, right after 连, not after the verb. It’s 他连狗肉都吃 (“he even eats dog meat”), not 他连都吃狗肉. 连 grabs the surprising item and puts it before 都 and the verb.
Why it happens: A negator goes after 都, right before the verb (都没 / 都不), not before it. It’s 他连饭都没吃 (“he hasn’t even eaten”), not 他连饭没都吃. 都 comes first, then 没 or 不.
Compare & contrast
| With 连…都: emphatic “even” | Plain: just stating it | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 连老师都不认识这个字。lián lǎoshī dōu bù rènshi zhège zì = “even the teacher doesn’t know this character” (surprising, emphatic) | 老师不认识这个字。lǎoshī bù rènshi zhège zì = “the teacher doesn’t know this character” (just a plain fact) | 连老师都不认识这个字 (“even the teacher doesn’t know this character”) flags how surprising that is. 老师不认识这个字 just reports the same fact with no emphasis. The frame is what adds the “even.” |
| 他连狗肉都吃。tā lián gǒu ròu dōu chī = “he even eats dog meat” (an extreme example of eating anything) | 他吃狗肉。tā chī gǒu ròu = “he eats dog meat” (neutral, no surprise implied) | 他连狗肉都吃 (“he even eats dog meat”) offers it as an extreme example of eating anything. 他吃狗肉 (“he eats dog meat”) is neutral, with no surprise implied. |
Try it yourself
Say “I even forgot the name.” Use 连…都: 我连名字都忘了。
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Even” with 连……都 (lián… dōu) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.