Why is it possible to replace 都 with 也 in 什么都没有?

Question

I know 也 only as "also", but I see it now and then used in ways difficult to understand, especially in some negative statements. Why is this so? Does 也 have some meaning not mentioned in dictionaries which is used in these cases?

Answer 1

什麼都 can be used in both positive and negative statements while 什麼也 is usually used in negative statements. So, instead of focusing on the usage of 也 here, 什麼都 and 什麼也 can be regarded as phrases which are sometimes used interchangeably.

For example:

我們以為什麼都知道，而實際上什麼也不知道。/ 我们以为什么都知道，而实际上什么也不知道。

One possible translation:

We thought we knew/know everything but, in fact, we knew/know nothing at all.

So, it's ok to say (although the above example would read better):

我們以為什麼都知道，而實際上*什麼都*不知道。/ 我们以为什么都知道，而实际上*什么都*不知道。

but odd to say:

我們以為*什麼也*知道，而實際上什麼也不知道。/ 我们以为*什么也*知道，而实际上什么也不知道。

Answer 2

The meaning of the original expression is "I have nothing." But Chinese gets there in a "strange," way.

A more literal translation of the expression is "Everything not have." The "everything" is rendered by "什麼都," which literally translates to "whatever all."

什麼也 gets to the same place in a slightly different way. I would translate it as "whatever included." And a literal translation would be "whatever included, not have," instead of "whatever all" not have.