也 and 都 (Also, All)

也 (yě) and 都 (dōu) are two of the most essential adverbs in Mandarin. Both are placed before the verb (or adjective) they modify, following the subject. Their position is fixed — they can never come after the verb.

也 means "also" or "too." "我也是学生" (wǒ yě shì xuéshēng) — "I am also a student." 也 indicates that the subject shares a quality or action with someone or something previously mentioned. It always refers back to a prior context.

都 means "all" or "both" and refers to the entirety of a previously mentioned group. "我们都喜欢中文" (wǒmen dōu xǐhuān Zhōngwén) — "We all like Chinese." 都 summarizes or includes everything/everyone in the subject. Importantly, 都 refers backward to what comes before it (the subject), not forward to what comes after it.

When using both together, the order is always 也都, never 都也. "他们也都来了" — "They also all came." In negative sentences, the order matters: "也不" means "also not," while "都不" means "none of them" or "not at all." "我们都不喜欢" = "None of us like it." "我也不喜欢" = "I also don't like it."