Word order for 也, 都, and 常

Put common adverbs such as also, all, and often before the verb or adjective they modify.

beginnerA1 · TOCFL a1word ordergrammar

也 都 常

Pattern

Subject + adverb + predicate

Key words

Core idea

Common adverbs such as , , and usually come before the verb or adjective phrase.

This is different from English, where words like “too” or “also” can appear later in the sentence.

Mini decision rule

Find the predicate, then put the adverb before it. The subject or topic usually comes first, then the adverb, then the action or description.

If several adverbs appear, keep the sentence simple at this level. Put only the adverb that is needed for the meaning, and avoid stacking more than the sentence can carry.

Examples

我也喝茶。

Wǒ yě hē chá.

I also drink tea.

他们都很忙。

Tāmen dōu hěn máng.

They are all busy.

她常去图书馆。

Tā cháng qù túshūguǎn.

She often goes to the library.

Common mistakes

Avoid

我喝茶也。

Use

我也喝茶。

These adverbs usually come before the verb or adjective phrase, not at the end.

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