都 dōu / dū — all; both (if two things are involved); entirely (due to)each; even; already; (surname)
我们都喜欢音乐。Wǒ men dōu xǐ huan yīn yuè.We all like music.
Common words: 首都 (shǒu dū)、全都 (quán dōu)、大都 (dà dōu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "all"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "all", including 都 (dōu / dū), 全 (quán), 历 (lì), 均 (jūn), 凡 (fán), 诸 (zhū). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "all" covers 8 different Chinese characters — 都 (dōu / dū), 全 (quán), 历 (lì), 均 (jūn), 凡 (fán), 诸 (zhū), 皆 (jiē), 拼 (pīn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 8 characters do not share a sound — their readings span dōu, dū, quán, lì, jūn, fán, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 都 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 都 dōu / dūall; both (if two things are involved); entirely (due to)each; even; already; (surname)Useful words: 首都, 全都
- 全 quánall; whole; entire; every; completeUseful words: 安全, 完全
- 历 lìcalendar; to experience; to undergo; to pass through; all; eachUseful words: 历史, 经历
- 均 jūnequal; even; all; uniformUseful words: 平均, 均匀
- 凡 fánordinary; every; all; whatever; worldlyUseful words: 凡是, 平凡
Common words for these 8 "all" characters
Anchor each of these 8 characters in a word you can picture — start with 都 (dōu / dū) — so "all" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
首都shǒu dūcapital (city)全都quán dōuall; without exception大都dà dōufor the most part; on the whole安全ān quánsafe; secure; safety; security完全wán quáncomplete; whole; totally; entirely全部quán bùwhole; all历史lì shǐhistory经历jīng lìto experience; to go through; experience (简历jiǎn lìcurriculum vitae (CV); résumé; biographical notes平均píng jūnaverage; on average; evenly; in equal proportions
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 8 ways to say "all".
全 quán — all; whole; entire; every; complete
全家人一起吃年夜饭。Quán jiā rén yì qǐ chī nián yè fàn.The whole family eats the New Year's Eve dinner together.
Common words: 安全 (ān quán)、完全 (wán quán)、全部 (quán bù)
历 lì — calendar; to experience; to undergo; to pass through; all; each
这是一段难忘的经历。Zhè shì yí duàn nán wàng de jīng lì.This is an unforgettable experience.
Common words: 历史 (lì shǐ)、经历 (jīng lì)、简历 (jiǎn lì)
均 jūn — equal; even; all; uniform
老师把糖果平均分给每个孩子。Lǎo shī bǎ táng guǒ píng jūn fēn gěi měi ge hái zi.The teacher divided the candy equally among each child.
Common words: 平均 (píng jūn)、均匀 (jūn yún)、人均 (rén jūn)
凡 fán — ordinary; every; all; whatever; worldly
凡事都要认真对待。Fán shì dōu yào rèn zhēn duì dài.One should take everything seriously.
Common words: 凡是 (fán shì)、平凡 (píng fán)、非凡 (fēi fán)
诸 zhū — (surname); all; many; various
各位老师，诸位同学，大家好！Gè wèi lǎo shī, zhū wèi tóng xué, dà jiā hǎo!Dear teachers and fellow students, hello everyone!
Common words: 诸位 (zhū wèi)、诸多 (zhū duō)、诸如此类 (zhū rú cǐ lèi)
皆 jiē — all; each and every; in all cases
一年之计在于春，万物皆有生机。Yì nián zhī jì zài yú chūn, wàn wù jiē yǒu shēng jī.The plan for the year starts in spring, when all things are full of life.
Common words: 比比皆是 (bǐ bǐ jiē shì)、皆可 (jiē kě)、皆然 (jiē rán)
拼 pīn — piece together; stake (all); spell; join together
弟弟正在拼一幅漂亮的拼图。Dì di zhèng zài pīn yì fú piào liang de pīn tú.My brother is putting together a beautiful jigsaw puzzle.
Common words: 拼命 (pīn mìng)、拼搏 (pīn bó)、拼成 (pīn chéng)
All 8 characters
Open 都、全、历 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.