都 (dōu) - Metropolis, capital city & all, both

都Tone 1

dōu ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

都 · dōu

Metropolis, capital city;

all, both;

even, already;

used in surnames and place names.

Metropolis, capital cityall, botheven, already

Usage highlights

Capital cityMetropolisAll peopleAlreadyChengdu cityMetropolitan area

Synonyms

  • 全— whole, complete, all
  • 皆— all, every
  • 首都— capital city

Antonyms

  • 无— none, without
  • 没— not, without
  • 部分— partial, part

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Beijing is the capital of China (北京是中国的首都).
  • All the students attended the meeting (所有的学生都参加了会议).
  • He has already finished his homework (他已经都做完作业了).
  • Chengdu is a major city in Sichuan (成都是四川的主要城市).

Collocations

  • Capital city(首都)
  • Metropolis(都市)
  • All people(大家都)
  • Already(都已经)
  • Chengdu city(成都市)
  • Metropolitan area(都会区)

Idioms

  • All without exception(无一例外都)
  • The capital of a thousand years(千年古都)
  • Everyone knows(众所周知都)
  • All roads lead to Rome(条条大路通罗马都适用)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to designate capital cities and important administrative centers in ancient China.
  • In modern usage, frequently appears in city names like Chengdu (成都) and capital (首都).
  • As an adverb, carries the meaning of completeness or totality in statements.

FAQ