How to Say “Every Time” with 每次……都 (měi cì… dōu)
每次……都 (měi cì… dōu) is how Chinese says “every time” or “whenever.” The catch is that 都 is required, even though English needs nothing after “every time”: 每次 + Event 1 + 都 + Event 2. 她每次来都带花 (“every time she comes, she brings flowers”). Drop the 都 and it’s wrong, and it’s always 都, never 也.
Why this trips learners up
When you learn how to say “every time” in Chinese, the pattern looks deceptively simple: 每次 (měi cì) literally means “every time,” so you’d think that’s all you need. It isn’t. Chinese pairs it with the adverb 都 (dōu), and the 都 is not optional; arguably it matters even more than the 每次. The shape is 每次 + Event 1 + 都 + Event 2: name the recurring trigger after 每次, then put 都 in front of what happens each time.
她每次来都带花 (“every time she comes, she brings flowers”), 我每次考试都很紧张 (“I get nervous every time I have an exam”), 他每次迟到都说是因为堵车 (“every time he’s late, he says it’s the traffic”). English simply says “every time…” and moves on, but in Chinese that 都 is what turns it into “every single time, without exception.” Leave it out and 她每次来带花 sounds broken to a native ear.
The two events don’t have to share a subject. When they differ, 都 lands in front of the second event’s verb, right after its subject: 为什么每次我来他都不在？(“how come he’s never here whenever I come?”), where 我 does Event 1 (来) and 他 does Event 2 (不在). Anything that modifies Event 2, a negator or a modal, goes with 都: 都不, 都没, 都会, 都要, as in 我每次路过书店都会进去看看 (“every time I pass the bookshop I go in for a look”).
Two things to lock in. First, never drop the 都; it is the heart of the pattern, not an optional extra. Second, this 每 pairs specifically with 都, not 也, so 她每次来也带花 is wrong; it has to be 都. (That is different from 连…都…, where 也 can substitute.) The whole thing is really the everyday 每……都…… pattern you already use for 每天都 and 每个人都, now aimed at what happens every time an action repeats.
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.
tā 他 Subject měi cì 每次 Pattern lái 来 Verb dōu 都 Pattern dài 带 Verb lǐwù 礼物 Object
Every time he comes, he brings a gift. (每次 + Event 1 + 都 + Event 2, the basic shape.)
wǒ 我 Subject měi cì 每次 Pattern kǎoshì 考试 Verb dōu 都 Pattern hěn 很 Adverb jǐnzhāng 紧张 Adjective
I get nervous every time I have an exam. (Event 2 is an adjective here: 都 + 很紧张.)
wèishénme 为什么 Question měi cì 每次 Pattern wǒ 我 Subject dǎ 打 Verb diànhuà 电话 Object tā 他 Subject dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation jiē 接 Verb
Why doesn’t he pick up every time I call? (Two subjects: 我 calls, 他 doesn’t answer; 都 sits before Event 2.)
nǐ 你 Subject zěnme 怎么 Question měi cì 每次 Pattern chī 吃 Verb là de 辣的 Object dōu 都 Pattern dùzi 肚子 Subject téng 疼 Verb
How come you get a stomachache every time you eat spicy food? (每次…都 inside a 怎么 question.)
wǒ 我 Subject měi cì 每次 Pattern lùguò 路过 Verb shūdiàn 书店 Object dōu 都 Pattern huì 会 Function word jìnqù 进去 Verb kànkan 看看 Verb
Every time I pass the bookshop, I go in for a look. (都会: the modal 会 rides with 都.)
měi cì 每次 Pattern yùdào 遇到 Verb wèntí 问题 Object tā 他 Subject dōu 都 Pattern yào 要 Function word wèn 问 Verb lǎoshī 老师 Object
Every time he runs into a problem, he asks the teacher. (每次 heads the sentence; the subject 他 comes before 都要.)
wǒ 我 Subject měi cì 每次 Pattern qù 去 Verb tā 他 Subject dōu 都 Pattern méi 没 Negation zài 在 Verb jiā 家 Place
Every time I go, he isn’t home. (都没: the past negator 没 sits after 都.)
bàba 爸爸 Subject měi cì 每次 Pattern chūchāi 出差 Verb huílái 回来 Verb dōu 都 Pattern gěi 给 Function word wǒmen 我们 Object mǎi 买 Verb lǐwù 礼物 Object
Every time Dad comes back from a business trip, he buys us presents. (A longer Event 2 with 给: 都给我们买礼物.)
Common mistakes
Why it happens: 都 is required, even though English needs nothing after “every time.” 他每次来带礼物 is wrong; it has to be 他每次来都带礼物. The 都 is the heart of the pattern, not an optional extra.
Why it happens: 都 goes right before the second event’s verb, after its subject, not before 每次 or the subject. When the events have different subjects it’s 每次我打电话他都不接, not 每次我打电话都他不接. 都 is an adverb, so it hugs the verb.
Why it happens: 每 pairs with 都, not 也. 她每次来也带花 is wrong; it has to be 她每次来都带花. This is unlike 连…都…, where 也 can stand in; with 每, only 都 works.
Compare & contrast
| 每次…都: every single time | Plain: just this once | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 我每次考试都很紧张。wǒ měi cì kǎoshì dōu hěn jǐnzhāng = “I get nervous every time I have an exam” (a standing pattern) | 我这次考试很紧张。wǒ zhè cì kǎoshì hěn jǐnzhāng = “I’m nervous about this exam” (one occasion only) | 我每次考试都很紧张 (“I get nervous every time I have an exam”) states a standing pattern: it happens every time. 我这次考试很紧张 (“I’m nervous about this exam”) is about one occasion only. 每次…都 is what makes it a rule. |
| 他每次来都带礼物。tā měi cì lái dōu dài lǐwù = “he brings a gift every single time he comes” | 他今天来带了礼物。tā jīntiān lái dài le lǐwù = “he brought a gift when he came today” (just once) | 他每次来都带礼物 (“he brings a gift every single time he comes”) sweeps in every visit with 都. 他今天来带了礼物 (“he brought a gift when he came today”) is just one time. The 每次…都 frame turns a one-off into an always. |
Try it yourself
Say “Every time she comes, she brings flowers.” Use 每次…都: 她每次来都带花。
Related patterns
Quick reference card
How to Say “Every Time” with 每次……都 (měi cì… dōu) grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.