每次...都 (every time)

• Pinyin: měi cì
• Formation: 每次 + Event / Condition，(Subject +) 都 + Result
• Hanzi breakdown: 每 = 𠂉 (hair ornament) + 母 (mother); 次 = 冫(ice) + 欠 (lack)

Meaning

Use 每次 (měi cì) with 都 (dōu) to express that something happens 'every time' a certain event occurs. The 每次 clause describes the recurring situation, and 都 emphasizes the consistent result.

每次...都 is a paired structure that expresses a habitual or consistent outcome tied to a recurring event. 每次 introduces the condition ('every time X happens'), and 都 in the following clause emphasizes that the result always follows without exception. For example, 每次下雨他都迟到 means 'every time it rains, he is late.' The structure can also be used with a subject between 每次 and the event: 我每次去那家店都排很长的队. Without 都, the sentence loses its emphatic universality and may sound incomplete. This pattern is closely related to 每 + MW + Noun + 都, but specifically focuses on repeated occurrences of events rather than items.

Examples

1. 每次考试他都考第一名。 Every time there is an exam, he gets first place.
2. 我每次去那家餐厅都要排队。 Every time I go to that restaurant, I have to wait in line.
3. 每次见面她都会带一份小礼物。 Every time we meet, she brings a small gift.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 每次路过那家面包店我都忍不住买一个。
• 她每次打电话给我都说很多话。
• 每次下大雨这条路都会积水。

Don't Say

• 每次他考试考第一名。(每次 typically pairs with 都 to emphasize consistency — say 每次他考试都考第一名) → 每次他考试都考第一名。
• 每次都下雨他迟到。(都 belongs in the result clause, not in the condition — say 每次下雨他都迟到) → 每次下雨他都迟到。

Origin & History

每次 is a compound of 每 (every) and 次 (time/occurrence), literally meaning 'every occurrence.' Combined with 都 (all/always), it forms a powerful universal quantifier for repeated events, a structure common in Chinese since early vernacular literature.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal