“Everything / Anything / Nothing” with 什么…都
什么…都 (shénme…dōu) means “everything” or “anything” — and with a negative, “nothing.” Here 什么 isn’t the question “what”; it’s “any,” and 都 sweeps it: 他什么都吃 (“he eats anything”), 我什么都不知道 (“I know nothing”). The 都 is the key — it makes “any” into “all.”
Why this trips learners up
You already know 什么 (shénme) as “what.” But in the pattern 什么…都, it does a completely different job: it means “any,” and the 都 (dōu) sweeps it up to “everything / all.” The shape is 什么 + 都 + Verb: 他什么都吃 (“he eats anything / everything”), 关于电脑，他什么都懂 (“about computers, he knows everything”).
The 都 is non-negotiable — it’s what turns 什么 from a question into a sweep. Drop it and 他什么吃 just reads as the question “what does he eat?” You can also slot a noun in between: 什么 + Noun + 都 — 什么书都看 (“reads any kind of book”), 什么颜色都可以 (“any colour is fine”). Notice the whole 什么…都 chunk sits before the verb — it’s fronted, unlike the question 什么, which stays after the verb (你吃什么？).
To flip it to “nothing / not any,” add a negator — 不 or 没 — right after 都 (or 也, which is common in the negative): 我什么都不想做 (“I don’t want to do anything”), 他什么也没说 (“he didn’t say anything”). The choice between 不 and 没 is the usual one: 不 for general/present/won’t (什么都不吃 “won’t eat anything”), 没 for a completed “didn’t” (什么都没吃 “didn’t eat anything”).
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 shénme 什么 Pattern dōu 都 Pattern chī 吃 Verb bù tiāoshí 不挑食 Verb
He eats anything — he’s not a picky eater (什么都 + verb).
zhège háizi 这个孩子 Subject shénme 什么 Pattern shū 书 Object dōu 都 Pattern kàn 看 Verb
This kid reads any kind of book (什么 + noun + 都).
wǒ 我 Subject lèi le 累了 Adjective jīntiān 今天 Time shénme 什么 Pattern dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation xiǎng 想 Function word zuò 做 Verb
I’m tired; I don’t want to do anything today (什么都不).
tā 他 Subject tūrán 突然 Adverb zǒu le 走了 Verb shénme 什么 Pattern yě 也 Pattern méi 没 Negation shuō 说 Verb
He suddenly left and didn’t say anything (什么也没 — 也 + 没, past).
jiǎnféi de shíhou 减肥的时候 Time tā 她 Subject shénme 什么 Pattern tián de 甜的 Object dōu 都 Pattern bù 不 Negation chī 吃 Verb
When she’s dieting, she doesn’t eat anything sweet (什么 + noun + 都不).
guānyú diànnǎo 关于电脑 Time tā 他 Subject shénme 什么 Pattern dōu 都 Pattern dǒng 懂 Verb
About computers, he knows everything (topic + 什么都).
wǒ 我 Subject bù tiāo 不挑 Verb shénme 什么 Pattern yánsè 颜色 Object dōu 都 Pattern kěyǐ 可以 Function word
I’m not fussy — any colour is fine (什么 + noun + 都).
nà jiā diàn 那家店 Subject guānmén le 关门了 Verb xiànzài 现在 Time shénme 什么 Pattern yě 也 Pattern mǎi 买 Verb bu 不 Negation dào 到 Complement le 了 Function word
That shop closed, so now you can’t buy anything there (什么也 + the potential complement 买不到).
Common mistakes
Why it happens: Without 都, 什么 is just the question “what”: 他什么吃 reads as “what does he eat?”. To mean “everything / anything,” you need the sweep 都 — 他什么都吃. The 都 is what does the work.
Why it happens: 什么 + 都 sit together BEFORE the verb (the object is fronted): 他什么都喜欢, not 他喜欢什么都. (Contrast the question 你喜欢什么？, where 什么 stays after the verb.)
Why it happens: A completed “didn’t” takes 没, not 不: 今天我什么都没吃 (“I didn’t eat anything today”). 不 is for general/present/won’t (什么都不吃 “won’t eat anything”). Same 不-vs-没 split as everywhere.
Compare & contrast
| 什么…都 + Verb — everything / anything | 什么…都 + 不/没 — nothing / not any | The difference |
|---|---|---|
| 什么都吃shénme dōu chī | 什么都不吃shénme dōu bù chī | 什么都吃 = “eats anything.” Add 不 → 什么都不吃 = “won’t eat anything.” Same frame, one negator flips it. |
| 什么都知道shénme dōu zhīdào | 什么都不知道shénme dōu bù zhīdào | 什么都知道 = “knows everything”; 什么都不知道 = “knows nothing.” 都 stays put; 不/没 makes it negative. |
Try it yourself
Say “I don’t know anything.” — front 什么都, then negate before the verb.
Related patterns
Quick reference card
“Everything / Anything / Nothing” with 什么…都 grammar.merrymandarin.com A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.