都⋯⋯了

dōu …… le

Expressing "already" with "dou"

都 before a time expression means "already", with a note of impatience.

都 + Time + 了

How it works

都九点了,快点起床! — it's already nine, get up! The speaker is not neutral about it.

This is a different 都 from the "all" adverb. Here it is followed by a time or quantity and a closing 了, and it carries the sense that the number is higher than it should be.

都 in this use is often stronger than 已经: 都三十岁了 sounds like a reproach in a way 已经三十岁了 does not.

Examples

  • dōu jiǔ diǎn le, kuài diǎn qǐ chuáng!

    都九点了,快点起床!

    It's already nine — get up!

  • dōu zhè me wǎn le, nǐ hái bú shuì?

    都这么晚了,你还不睡?

    It's this late already and you're still not asleep?

  • tā dōu sān shí suì le, hái méi yǒu gōng zuò

    他都三十岁了,还没有工作。

    He's thirty already and still has no job.