all for Mandarin speakers — pronunciation and common errors

Pronunciation

Mandarin has no lateral liquid /l/ in syllable-final positions, so speakers often substitute it with a rounded vowel /o/ or /u/, pronouncing 'all' as /ɔo/.

Grammar

Mandarin uses 都 (dōu) as a universal quantifier that must follow the subject. Learners often misplace 'all' after the subject (e.g., 'They all are here') because 都 (dōu) functions as an adverb, not a determiner, in the L1 structure.

Collocations

The Mandarin word 都 (dōu) is used for both 'all' and 'both'. Learners may use 'all' when referring to only two items, as the L1 does not grammatically distinguish dual from plural sets in this context.

Examples

• All the lights are on in the house.
• She spent all her money on a new coat for the winter.