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花市里人山人海,热闹非凡,每个人带着甜蜜的笑容。

Is the sentence wrong without the 都?

Why the sentence is only correct / better with the 都?

Thank you!

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2 Answers 2

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都 is an adverb for 'All' ; 'without exception'

"每个人带着甜蜜的笑容。" is not grammatically wrong, However, having the adverb 都 before the verb 带着 (carry), add emphasis to the fact- 'All of them/ without exception'

  • '人人带着愉快的笑容' = 'everyone carry pleasant smile on their faces'

  • '人人()带着愉快的笑容' = 'everyone, (without exception), carry pleasant smile on their faces'

It would be easier to see the difference if you replace 每个人(each person) or 人人 (everyone) with a term that hasn't already indicated the meaning of 'all'

For example:

'外面的人们带着愉快的笑容' = 'the people outside, carry pleasant smile' (we don't know it is some of them or all of them)

'外面的人们带着愉快的笑容 = the people outside, all carry pleasant smile' (now we know all of them are smiling)

Side note:

甜蜜的笑容 = 'sweet smile' , more suitable for describing smile of beautiful or cute girl

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I agree with Tang Ho, 都(全部)is used for emphasis, 'all, everybody'. I don't agree that it is an adverb. I would class 都 as a pronoun in this usage.

都还好吧? All good? / Everything OK?

We use 'all' in the same way in English and other languages:

We want some soup first.
我们首先要喝点汤。
We all want some soup first.
我们首先都要喝点汤。
Do you need help?
你们需要帮助吗?
Do you all need help?
你们都需要帮助吗?
They refuse to leave.
他们拒绝离开。
They all refuse to leave.
他们都拒绝离开。

我什么东西都吃。(什么 could indicate a question. ‘我什么东西吃?’都 changes that to 'anything, all')
I eat anything.
什么东西我都吃。
I eat anything.
*我吃什么东西都。(This word order is not used. No idea why.)
I eat anything

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  • -*我吃什么东西都。(This word order is not used. No idea why.) This is because 都 is an adverb that goes before a verb.
    – monalisa
    Apr 17, 2018 at 2:38
  • Why do you say 都 is an adverb? Ever seen ‘都地吃’ in a sentence or maybe 吃得都? How do you define adverb in Chinese?
    – Pedroski
    Apr 17, 2018 at 7:22
  • I don't know how to define adverb in Chinese, but I can tell you all adverbs in Chinese do have to be put before the verb. That's why you can't have 我吃什么东西都. Apr 17, 2018 at 21:21
  • Many times you will see 'verb + 得' e.g. '跑得很快, 工作得很不开心‘ What do you call such phrases beginning in 得?How about '我没一口吃得都很香。‘ To identify parts of speech such as adverbs, we definitely need a clear definition of what we mean, wouldn't you agree?
    – Pedroski
    Apr 18, 2018 at 3:01
  • I do agree, I just don't know how to define it. But I'll change the point of view then: wouldn't you say 不 is an adverb? Now why does is come in the same place here "他工作得不开心" as you would put 都 like in "他们工作得都很开心"? Apr 18, 2018 at 20:56

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