都
Character learning workspace

dōu / dū · all, each, entirely, whole

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 2.0 · Level 1HSK 3.0 · Level 1Frequency #25
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 都

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Sound changes meaning

Readings & meanings

都 has 2 dictionary pronunciations. The examples show how each reading behaves in real words.

dōu

all; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even

全都quán dōu · all
dū

capital city; metropolis

首都shǒu dū · capital
Step-by-step explorer

See how 都 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

10Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Left-rightCharacter structure

Keep the left side compact and leave enough room for the right side.

阝Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 都 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 都

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

dōuall; both; entirely; (used for emphasis) even
dūcapital city; metropolis
Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 都 sits in each complete thought.

Nǐ zǒu le, wǒ men dōu huì xiǎng nǐ de.你走了,我们都会想你的。

We shall all miss you when you go away.

Source: Tatoeba #332548 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ suǒ yǒu de shū wǒ dōu kàn guò le.你所有的书我都看过了。

I have read all of your books.

Source: Tatoeba #11698270 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè xiē dōu shì nǐ bù dé bú zuò de ma?这些都是你不得不做的吗?

Is that all you have to do?

Source: Tatoeba #4845079 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Hǎo de! suǒ yǒu rén dōu liǎojiě le ma?好的!所有人都了解了吗?

Okay! Does everyone understand?

Source: Tatoeba #4844591 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ néng zhǎo dào de dōu zài nà.我能找到的都在那。

That's all I could find.

Source: Tatoeba #5574363 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Dōu shì wǒ de cuò.都是我的错。

It's all my fault.

Source: Tatoeba #707263 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 都 in context

  1. Say dōu / dū, then recall the core meaning: all, each, entirely, whole.
  2. Write all 10 strokes while keeping the left-right balanced.
  3. Use it in 全都 (quán dōu), meaning “all”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 都 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.