Lesson 1: 连...也/都 — Even X
Master the 连...也 and 连...都 constructions to express emphasis and unexpectedness at B1 level.
Overview
The 连...也/都 pattern is one of the most expressive tools in Mandarin for marking extremity and unexpectedness. It singles out an item that represents the most unlikely or extreme case, then asserts that even that item falls under the statement. What makes this pattern challenging at B1 level is knowing precisely where 连 attaches (before noun phrases, pronouns, or verbs), how to distinguish 也 from 都 in context, and how to use the pattern naturally in speech without sounding mechanical.
Learning Objectives
- Correctly place 连 before the focused element in a sentence.
- Distinguish when to use 也 versus 都 after the verb.
- Combine 连...也/都 with negation and affirmation to produce two distinct meanings.
- Recognize and produce the pattern in both spoken dialogue and written prose.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 连 | lián | prep/conj | even, including | 连他也不知道。 |
| 都 | dōu | adv | all, even | 连小孩都会。 |
| 也 | yě | adv | also, even | 连我也没听说。 |
| 甚至 | shènzhì | adv | even, going so far as | 他甚至哭了。 |
| 包括 | bāokuò | v | to include | 包括我在内。 |
| 竟然 | jìngrán | adv | unexpectedly, to one's surprise | 他竟然忘了。 |
| 居然 | jūrán | adv | unexpectedly (stronger surprise) | 居然没人来！ |
| 一点 | yīdiǎn | meas | a little bit | 连一点也没有。 |
| 居然 | jūrán | adv | to one's amazement | 她居然通过了考试。 |
| 任何 | rènhé | pron | any, whatever | 连任何人都不例外。 |
| 例外 | lìwài | n/v | exception; to be an exception | 没有例外。 |
| 完全 | wánquán | adv | completely, entirely | 连完全不懂的人也能学会。 |
| 想到 | xiǎngdào | v | to think of, to realize | 连他都没想到。 |
| 否认 | fǒurèn | v | to deny | 连他自己都不否认。 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: 连 + NP + 也/都 + Verb (Negative)
Structure: 连 + [focused NP] + 也/都 + 不/没 + Verb
This is the most common use: "not even X." The item after 连 is an extreme case, and the negation shows that not even this minimal item satisfies the condition. 也 and 都 are interchangeable here, but 都 sounds slightly more emphatic in writing.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他连饭都没吃。 | Tā lián fàn dōu méi chī. | He didn't even eat. |
| 我连他的名字也不知道。 | Wǒ lián tā de míngzì yě bù zhīdào. | I don't even know his name. |
| 她连一句话也没说就走了。 | Tā lián yī jù huà yě méi shuō jiù zǒu le. | She left without saying even a single word. |
Common mistake: Learners often omit 连 and write 他都没吃饭, which simply means "he didn't eat" without the "not even" emphasis. The 连 is what creates that strong focus.
Pattern 2: 连 + NP + 也/都 + Verb (Affirmative)
Structure: 连 + [focused NP] + 也/都 + Verb
In affirmative sentences the pattern means "even X (does/is)..." suggesting that the most unlikely item also applies, implying universality.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 连小孩都知道这个道理。 | Lián xiǎohái dōu zhīdào zhège dàolǐ. | Even children know this principle. |
| 连我妈也同意了。 | Lián wǒ mā yě tóngyì le. | Even my mom agreed. |
| 连最懒的学生都按时交了作业。 | Lián zuì lǎn de xuésheng dōu ànshí jiāo le zuòyè. | Even the laziest student handed in the homework on time. |
Common mistake: Do not place 连 after the subject. The correct order is: Subject + 连 + [focused element] + 也/都 + Verb. Saying 连他也 is fine when 他 is the focused element itself, but 他连饭也吃 (without negation) sounds awkward unless context supports it.
Pattern 3: 甚至 as a softer alternative
Structure: 甚至 + [extreme case] + Verb
甚至 conveys a similar "going so far as" nuance but does not require the 也/都 frame. It works well when listing items on an escalating scale.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他学了三门外语，甚至还会一点日语。 | Tā xué le sān mén wàiyǔ, shènzhì hái huì yīdiǎn Rìyǔ. | He learned three foreign languages, and even knows a bit of Japanese. |
| 她很忙，甚至周末也在加班。 | Tā hěn máng, shènzhì zhōumò yě zài jiābān. | She is very busy, working overtime even on weekends. |
| 天气冷到甚至结冰了。 | Tiānqì lěng dào shènzhì jié bīng le. | It got so cold it even froze over. |
Contrast: 连...也/都 requires a specific focused element in a fixed syntactic slot. 甚至 is more flexible and can appear as a standalone adverb in a clause.
Dialogue
Context: Two coworkers discussing a difficult project deadline.
A: 昨天加班到很晚，你怎么样？
Zuótiān jiābān dào hěn wǎn, nǐ zěnmeyàng?
You worked late yesterday. How are you doing?
B: 别提了。连觉都没睡好，早上连咖啡都没时间喝。
Bié tí le. Lián jiào dōu méi shuì hǎo, zǎoshang lián kāfēi dōu méi shíjiān hē.
Don't even mention it. I didn't even sleep well, and in the morning I didn't even have time for coffee.
A: 项目那么难？连你都觉得吃力？
Xiàngmù nàme nán? Lián nǐ dōu juéde chīlì?
The project is that hard? Even you find it tough?
B: 是啊，连经理都说没见过这么复杂的需求。
Shì a, lián jīnglǐ dōu shuō méi jiànguò zhème fùzá de xūqiú.
Yeah, even the manager said he's never seen requirements this complex.
A: 那其他同事呢？
Nà qítā tóngshì ne?
What about the other colleagues?
B: 有人连任务说明都没看完就开始做了，结果全部返工。
Yǒurén lián rènwù shuōmíng dōu méi kàn wán jiù kāishǐ zuò le, jiéguǒ quánbù fǎngōng.
Some people started working without even finishing reading the task description, so everything had to be redone.
A: 甚至连最有经验的王工也说没把握？
Shènzhì lián zuì yǒu jīngyàn de Wáng Gōng yě shuō méi bǎwò?
Even the most experienced Engineer Wang said he's not confident?
B: 对，不过他说只要方向对，就能慢慢解决。
Duì, bùguò tā shuō zhǐyào fāngxiàng duì, jiù néng màn màn jiějué.
Right, but he said as long as the direction is correct, we can solve it gradually.
A: 希望如此。连我这个旁观者都替你们捏一把汗。
Xīwàng rúcǐ. Lián wǒ zhège pángguānzhě dōu tì nǐmen niē yī bǎ hàn.
I hope so. Even I, an onlooker, am nervous on your behalf.
Extended Reading
李明最近压力很大。他每天工作十几个小时，连周末也不能休息。他的同事说，连平时最轻松的任务现在也让他感到头疼。他甚至连吃饭的时间都很少。他的家人很担心，连他的父母也特地从外地赶来看他。大家都希望他能调整状态，毕竟连最坚强的人也需要休息。
Lǐ Míng zuìjìn yālì hěn dà. Tā měitiān gōngzuò shí jǐ gè xiǎoshí, lián zhōumò yě bù néng xiūxi. Tā de tóngshì shuō, lián píngshí zuì qīngsōng de rènwù xiànzài yě ràng tā gǎndào tóuténg. Tā shènzhì lián chīfàn de shíjiān dōu hěn shǎo. Tā de jiārén hěn dānxīn, lián tā de fùmǔ yě tèdì cóng wàidì gǎn lái kàn tā. Dàjiā dōu xīwàng tā néng tiáozhěng zhuàngtài, bìjìng lián zuì jiānqiáng de rén yě xūyào xiūxi.
Li Ming has been under a lot of pressure recently. He works more than ten hours every day and cannot even rest on weekends. His colleagues say even the usually easiest tasks now give him a headache. He barely even has time to eat. His family is worried, and even his parents made a special trip from out of town to see him. Everyone hopes he can adjust his state, because even the strongest person needs rest.
Practice
Exercise 1: Rewrite for emphasis. Add 连...也/都 to emphasize the underlined element.
- 他不知道答案。(他) → ___
- 孩子喜欢这首歌。(孩子) → ___
- 她没睡觉。(一分钟) → ___
Exercise 2: Choose 也 or 都. Both may be correct; note any difference in tone.
- 连老师___不知道这道题怎么做。
- 连最简单的问题他___回答不上来。
- 她太累了，连话___不想说。
Exercise 3: Translation. Translate into Chinese using 连...也/都 or 甚至.
- Even the director didn't know about this decision.
- She practiced so much that even her teacher was impressed.
- He worked so hard he didn't even take a single day off.
Cultural Note
In Chinese communication, using 连...也/都 can carry a strong evaluative weight. Saying "连他都做不到" (even he can't do it) implies a shared social understanding of that person's ability. In a workplace or family context, deploying this pattern about a respected figure can signal either admiration (even he managed to do it) or crisis (even he failed). Speakers are culturally attuned to these implications, so the pattern is a powerful rhetorical tool, not just a grammar structure.