Lian Dou Chinese Grammar: How to Say 'Even' with 连…都/也

In Chinese, 连 (lián) … 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě) is how you say "even." Put 连 before the surprising person or thing, and 都 or 也 before the verb. 他连周末都加班 means "He even works overtime on weekends." The word after 连 is the most extreme case. If it is true for that, it is true for everything else.

This pattern is part of the HSK 4 syllabus, but you will hear it much earlier, because people use it all the time to complain and exaggerate. Below we cover it with nouns, with negatives, with a repeated verb, and the related "not a single one" pattern, plus a table, dialogues, common mistakes and a quiz. For the full picture of what HSK 4 expects, see our HSK 4 study guide.

The Core Rule of Lian Dou Chinese Grammar

The basic pattern is:

连 + the extreme thing + 都/也 + Verb

Why does this work? 都 means "all" and 也 means "also." So 连老师都不知道 is really saying "including the teacher, everyone doesn't know." You pick the person or thing that is the least likely, mark it with 连, and 都 or 也 tells the listener "this one is included too." The listener then draws the conclusion: everyone else must be included as well.

他连周末都加班。
- Pinyin: Tā lián zhōumò dōu jiābān.
- English: He even works overtime on weekends.

Notice that the thing after 连 always comes before the verb. This is the part learners forget most often.

How to Say "Even" in Chinese with 连 + Noun + 都/也

连 + Object

Subject + 连 + Object + 都/也 + Verb

In English the object sits after the verb ("he even finished the soup"). In Chinese, the object moves in front of the verb, between 连 and 都.

他饿坏了，连汤都喝完了。
- Pinyin: Tā è huài le, lián tāng dōu hē wán le.
- English: He was starving. He even finished the soup.
我早上起晚了，连脸都没洗就出门了。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zǎoshang qǐ wǎn le, lián liǎn dōu méi xǐ jiù chūmén le.
- English: I got up late this morning and left without even washing my face.

连 + Subject

连 + Subject + 都/也 + Verb

Here the surprising person or thing is the one doing the action, and 连 goes right at the start. The same works for a time or a place: 他连春节也不回家 (he doesn't even go home for Spring Festival).

连老师都不知道这个字怎么读。
- Pinyin: Lián lǎoshī dōu bù zhīdào zhège zì zěnme dú.
- English: Even the teacher doesn't know how to read this character.
今天太冷了，连我的狗都不想出门。
- Pinyin: Jīntiān tài lěng le, lián wǒ de gǒu dōu bù xiǎng chūmén.
- English: It's so cold today that even my dog doesn't want to go out.

连…都不 and 连…都没: Using "Even" with Negatives

Most real 连 sentences are negative. People use them to say something did not happen at all, often with some feeling. Choose 不 or 没 the normal way: 不 for habits, wishes and the present, 没 for things that did not happen.

连 + Noun + 都/也 + 不/没 + Verb

我连他的名字都不知道。
- Pinyin: Wǒ lián tā de míngzi dōu bù zhīdào.
- English: I don't even know his name.
他帮了你那么多，你连"谢谢"都没说？
- Pinyin: Tā bāng le nǐ nàme duō, nǐ lián "xièxie" dōu méi shuō?
- English: He helped you so much, and you didn't even say thank you?

连一口都没吃: 连 + 一 + Measure Word

连 + 一 + Measure Word (+ Noun) + 都/也 + 没/不 + Verb

When you put "one" after 连, you are saying "not even one." One bite, one time, one day. It is the smallest amount possible, so it is the most extreme case. You need the right measure word here, so check our guide to Chinese measure words if 口 or 天 here look unfamiliar.

我做的蛋糕，他连一口都没吃。
- Pinyin: Wǒ zuò de dàngāo, tā lián yì kǒu dōu méi chī.
- English: He didn't eat a single bite of the cake I made.
这个月我连一天也没休息。
- Pinyin: Zhège yuè wǒ lián yì tiān yě méi xiūxi.
- English: I haven't had a single day off this month.

他连看都没看: 连 + Verb + 都 + 不/没 + Verb

连 + Verb + 都/也 + 不/没 + the same Verb

Yes, the verb appears twice. The first verb is the smallest first step, and the sentence says the person did not even take that step. "He didn't even look" is stronger than "he didn't read it."

我给他发了消息，他连看都没看。
- Pinyin: Wǒ gěi tā fā le xiāoxi, tā lián kàn dōu méi kàn.
- English: I sent him a message and he didn't even look at it.
他连想都没想就答应了。
- Pinyin: Tā lián xiǎng dōu méi xiǎng jiù dāying le.
- English: He said yes without even thinking about it.

The verb is usually a short one-syllable verb like 看, 听, 想, 问, 试 or 碰. You will mostly hear this pattern in the negative.

连…都 vs 连…也: Is There a Difference?

Honestly, not much. In most sentences you can swap them and the meaning stays the same. 连他都来了 and 连他也来了 both mean "even he came."

Two tendencies are worth knowing:

都 is more common overall. In positive sentences especially, 连…都 sounds the most natural, so it is the safer choice.
In negative sentences, both are everywhere. 连一口也没吃 and 连一口都没吃 are equally normal.

Some teachers say 都 keeps a hint of "all" and 也 a hint of "too," but native speakers rarely feel a difference when they talk. So if one textbook teaches you "lian ye" and another teaches "lian dou," both are right. For the other jobs 也 does, see our guide to 也 vs. 还.

Dropping 连 in Speech

In casual speech, people often leave 连 out. 都 or 也 still carries the "even" meaning.

他一口都没吃。
- Pinyin: Tā yì kǒu dōu méi chī.
- English: He didn't eat a single bite.

You can drop 连. You cannot drop 都 or 也.

Not a Single One: 一 + Measure Word + 也/都 + Negative (一个人也没有)

一 + Measure Word (+ Noun) + 也/都 + 没/不 + Verb

This is a close relative of 连. It means "not a single one" or "not at all," and it does not need 连. Both 也 and 都 are common here.

教室里一个人也没有。
- Pinyin: Jiàoshì lǐ yí ge rén yě méiyǒu.
- English: There isn't a single person in the classroom.
我出门太急，一分钱都没带。
- Pinyin: Wǒ chūmén tài jí, yì fēn qián dōu méi dài.
- English: I left in a hurry and didn't bring a single cent.
爬了三个小时的山，他一点儿也不累。
- Pinyin: Pá le sān ge xiǎoshí de shān, tā yìdiǎnr yě bú lèi.
- English: After three hours of hiking, he isn't tired at all.

This pattern only works with a negative. 一个人也有 is not Chinese. The last example, 一点儿也不, is so common that it has its own article: 一点儿 vs. 有点儿.

Quick Comparison Table

Pattern	Example	English
连 + object + 都 + verb	他连汤都喝完了。	He even finished the soup.
连 + subject + 都 + verb	连老师都不知道。	Even the teacher doesn't know.
连 + noun + 都 + 没 + verb	我连脸都没洗。	I didn't even wash my face.
连 + 一 + MW + 都 + 没 + verb	他连一口都没吃。	He didn't eat a single bite.
连 + verb + 都 + 没 + verb	他连看都没看。	He didn't even look.
一 + MW + 也 + 没 (no 连)	一个人也没有。	There isn't a single person.
Spoken, 连 dropped	他看都没看。	He didn't even look.

Real-Life Dialogues with 连…都

Dialogue 1: A Shy New Colleague

A: 新来的同事怎么样？
- Pinyin: Xīn lái de tóngshì zěnmeyàng?
- English: What's the new colleague like?
B: 人很好，就是太害羞了，连跟我说话都脸红。
- Pinyin: Rén hěn hǎo, jiùshì tài hàixiū le, lián gēn wǒ shuōhuà dōu liǎnhóng.
- English: He's nice, just really shy. He even blushes when he talks to me.
A: 那我们中午请他吃饭吧。
- Pinyin: Nà wǒmen zhōngwǔ qǐng tā chī fàn ba.
- English: Let's take him out for lunch, then.
B: 好啊，不过他可能连菜都不好意思点。
- Pinyin: Hǎo a, búguò tā kěnéng lián cài dōu bù hǎoyìsi diǎn.
- English: Sure, but he might be too shy to even order.

Dialogue 2: A Bad Restaurant

A: 你昨天去的那家饭馆怎么样？
- Pinyin: Nǐ zuótiān qù de nà jiā fànguǎn zěnmeyàng?
- English: How was that restaurant you went to yesterday?
B: 别提了，里面一个客人也没有。
- Pinyin: Bié tí le, lǐmiàn yí ge kèrén yě méiyǒu.
- English: Don't ask. There wasn't a single customer.
A: 菜呢？
- Pinyin: Cài ne?
- English: And the food?
B: 太难吃了，我男朋友连筷子都没动。
- Pinyin: Tài nánchī le, wǒ nánpéngyou lián kuàizi dōu méi dòng.
- English: Awful. My boyfriend didn't even pick up his chopsticks.

Common Mistakes with 连…都/也

Mistake 1: Forgetting 都 or 也

连 cannot do the job alone. Without 都 or 也, the sentence sounds unfinished.

Wrong: 这个问题连我知道。
Right: 这个问题连我都知道。
- Pinyin: Zhège wèntí lián wǒ dōu zhīdào.
- English: Even I know this one.

Mistake 2: Leaving the Object After the Verb

English puts the object after the verb. With 连, the object has to come first.

Wrong: 我都不知道连他的名字。
Right: 我连他的名字都不知道。
- Pinyin: Wǒ lián tā de míngzi dōu bù zhīdào.
- English: I don't even know his name.

Mistake 3: Using 一…也 in a Positive Sentence

"Not a single one" needs a negative.

Wrong: 他一句话也说了。
Right: 他一句话也没说。
- Pinyin: Tā yí jù huà yě méi shuō.
- English: He didn't say a single word.

Mistake 4: Using 连 for "Even Better"

English "even" has two jobs. "Even the teacher" is a 连 sentence. "Even better" is a comparison, and Chinese uses 更 or 还. See our guide to comparative sentences with 比.

Wrong: 这家店的菜连好吃。
Right: 这家店的菜更好吃。
- Pinyin: Zhè jiā diàn de cài gèng hǎochī.
- English: The food at this place is even better.

Practice Quiz: 连…都/也

Answers are below.

Put the words in order: 他 / 都 / 连 / 没说 / 再见
Fill in the blank: 教室里一个人 ___ 没有。
Fill in the blank: 我 ___ 他的电话号码都不知道。
Translate into Chinese: "He didn't even look."
Right or wrong? 今天太忙了，我连喝水没时间。

Answers

他连再见都没说。 (He didn't even say goodbye.)
也 or 都 (not a single person)
连 (I don't even know his phone number.)
他连看都没看。 (or, more casually, 他看都没看。)
Wrong. It needs 都: 今天太忙了，我连喝水都没时间。 (I was so busy today I didn't even have time to drink water.)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 连…都 mean in Chinese?

连…都 means "even." You put 连 before the most surprising person or thing and 都 before the verb, as in 连老师都不知道 (even the teacher doesn't know). It says that if this extreme case is true, everything else is true too.

What is the difference between 连…都 and 连…也?

In most sentences they mean the same thing and you can swap them. 都 is more common overall and is the safer choice in positive sentences. In negative sentences, 连…也没 and 连…都没 are both very common.

How do you say "not a single one" in Chinese?

Use 一 + measure word + 也/都 + a negative verb. 一个人也没有 means "there isn't a single person," and 我一分钱都没带 means "I didn't bring a single cent." This pattern only works in negative sentences.

How do you say "even better" in Chinese?

Not with 连. The "even" in "even better" is a comparison, so use 更 or 还: 这个更好 (this one is even better). 连 is only for the "even X does it" kind of sentence.

What's Next

A good next step is to make three 连 sentences about your own day, such as something you didn't even have time to do. Saying them aloud helps the word order stick.

Learn Chinese is free to download on iOS and Android, with HSK vocabulary, built-in audio, grammar lessons and practice tests to help you practice patterns like 连…都. HSK 1 and 2 are free in full, and Learn Chinese Pro covers HSK 3 to 6, including the HSK 4 grammar in this article.