递进强调 · HSK 4 (new at this level)

HSK 4 Pattern: 连…都/也…

Emphasizes that EVEN the most unlikely or extreme case is true, implying everything else is even more so.

连 + extreme case + 都/也 + verb

Examples / 例句

他连自己的名字都不会写。
Tā lián zìjǐ de míngzì dōu bú huì xiě.
He can't even write his own name.
Name = easiest thing, so everything else is implied impossible
这道题连老师都不会做。
Zhè dào tí lián lǎoshī dōu bú huì zuò.
Even the teacher can't solve this problem.
Teacher = most capable person, emphasizing extreme difficulty
她忙得连吃饭的时间都没有。
Tā máng de lián chīfàn de shíjiān dōu méiyǒu.
She's so busy she doesn't even have time to eat.
Eating = basic necessity, emphasizing extreme busyness
这个城市发展太快了，连住了很多年的人都常常找不到回家的路。
Zhège chéngshì fāzhǎn tài kuài le, lián zhù le hěn duō nián de rén dōu chángcháng zhǎo bú dào huí jiā de lù.
This city is developing so fast that even people who've lived here for many years often can't find their way home.
住了很多年的人 = those most familiar — emphasizes the scale of change. Common HSK 4 reading topic
他对那段历史很熟悉，连小细节也记得清清楚楚。
Tā duì nà duàn lìshǐ hěn shúxī, lián xiǎo xìjié yě jìde qīngqīngchǔchǔ.
He knows that period of history so well that even small details are crystal clear in his memory.
小细节 = least notable, showcasing mastery — HSK 4 描述人物 frame

Choose the meaning first / 先看要表达什么

他连看都没看。Even looking did not happen: 看 is the focus. 他连这本书都没看。This particular book is the focus. 连 can emphasize a person, thing, amount or action; 都/也 belongs in the later part.

Practise the pattern / 开始练习 →

Common Errors & Meaning Differences / 易错点与表达区别

△ 连他很聪明都不会做。
✓ 连他都不会做。/ 他那么聪明都不会做。
Place the focus clearly after 连: 连他都不会做 emphasizes him. 连 can also focus a verb phrase: 他连看都没看。It is not restricted to nouns or pronouns. “连他很聪明都不会做” does not clearly organize the intended focus.
△ 他连不会做这道题。
✓ 他连这道题都不会做。
Must have 都/也 after the emphasized element. 连…都/也 is a fixed frame.
Easily confused: 连…都 is stronger emphasis than just using 也 or 都 alone. See comparison →

Fill in the Blanks / 填空练习

Fill every blank separately, using the meaning shown below the sentence. Spaces around words are ignored. Feedback lists reviewed answers; an unlisted rewrite is not automatically ungrammatical.

他自己的名字不会写。

He can't even write his own name

她忙得吃饭的时间没有。

So busy she doesn't even have time to eat

老师都解决不了这个问题。

Even the teacher can't solve it

Use it in a new sentence / 换句子表达

这道题对大家来说通常很容易，但今天小张没有做出来。用“连……都……”强调出乎意料的程度。 / Zhang could not solve even a normally easy question.

强调的对象是“这么容易的题”。 / Put the surprising extreme after 连.

草稿只保留在当前页面，离开前请自行复制。Draft stays on this page only; copy it before leaving.

Compare one possible answer / 对照一种参考表达

小张连这么容易的题都没做出来。

Other correct wording is possible. Check the intended meaning, not exact wording. / 可以有其他正确表达，重点是保留题意。

Quick Quiz / 小测验

这个字太难了，___老师___不认识。
Emphasizing extreme case (even the teacher) → 连…都.
他累得___话___不想说了。
So tired that even talking is too much → 连…都.
这件事___小孩子___知道。
Even children know (easiest/most basic case) → 连…都.
All Grammar Topics Take a Mock Exam Sentence Ordering

连…都/也… FAQ

When is 连…都/也… tested in HSK 4?

连…都/也… (Even... (emphasis)) appears in HSK 4 reading comprehension (Q66-85) when texts use complex sentences, in 阅读排序 (Q56-65) where this pattern's connectors signal sentence order, and in listening 段落 (Q26-45) where the speaker uses it to express emphasizes that even the most unlikely or extreme case is true, implying everything else is even more so.

What's the most common mistake with 连…都/也…?

连…都 is stronger emphasis than just using 也 or 都 alone.

Is 连…都/也… required at HSK 4 or higher?

HSK 4 (new at this level)

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