# 凡是……，都…… Grammar Guide | HSK 6 Conditional Complex Sentences | HSKReady

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Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-6-g046
HSK levels: 6
Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:17.681Z
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Master the HSK 6 conditional pattern 凡是……，都…… (fánshì..., dōu...). Learn how to express universal scope, syntactic structures, register, and key contrasts.

Grammar

[HSK 6 · Sentence types › Complex sentences › Conditional clauses](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-6#hsk-6-g046)

# HSK 6 Conditional Complex Sentences: 凡是……，都……

The correlative pattern 凡是……，都…… links a universal qualifying condition with a result that applies without exception to every member of that category.

凡是 qualifying category / noun phrase ， 都 predicate applying to all

Example sentence

凡是参加本次国际学术会议的代表，都必须提前在线完成实名注册。

Fánshì cānjiā běn cì guójì xuéshù huìyì de dàibiǎo, dōu bìxū tíqián zàixiàn wánchéng shímíng zhùcè.

All representatives attending this international academic conference must complete real-name registration online in advance.

Correct: 凡是 introduces a defined category of people (参加……的代表), and 都 precedes the modal verb 必须.

A common mistake

× 凡是张教授今天下午发表的这篇论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。

Fánshì Zhāng jiàoshòu jīntiān xiàwǔ fābiǎo de zhè piān lùnwén, dōu yǐnqǐle xuéjiè de guǎngfàn guānzhù.

[Incorrect] Every single one of this paper that Professor Zhang published this afternoon has attracted widespread attention in the academic community.

Incorrect: 凡是 requires a general category or plural set. Here, 这篇论文 refers to one specific, unique paper, creating a logical contradiction. Replace with the general category in “凡是张教授发表的论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。”.

Corrected example: 凡是张教授发表的论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。

**Read the full explanation and examples**

## Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope

In the HSK 6 grammar outline, 凡是……，都…… is a conditional complex-sentence pattern. It states that the rule or outcome applies to every member of the category introduced by 凡是, often corresponding to “all who…” or “any… that…”. This is the scope of the speaker’s claim; the grammar does not prove that the claim is factually true.

Because 凡是 summarises an entire class of people, objects, or situations without exception, it carries an authoritative, objective, or emphatic tone. It appears frequently in administrative regulations, legal notices, academic writing, and formal generalizations based on experience.

凡是参加本次国际学术会议的代表，都必须提前在线完成实名注册。

Fánshì cānjiā běn cì guójì xuéshù huìyì de dàibiǎo, dōu bìxū tíqián zàixiàn wánchéng shímíng zhùcè.

All representatives attending this international academic conference must complete real-name registration online in advance.

Correct: 凡是 introduces a defined category of people (参加……的代表), and 都 precedes the modal verb 必须.

## Sentence Structures and Syntactic Patterns

The word 凡是 stands at the beginning of the first clause to mark the total scope of the condition, while the adverb 都 stands before the verb or modal verb in the second clause to echo that totality. Depending on how the sentence organizes its subjects, two main arrangements occur.

凡是 qualifying category / noun phrase ， 都 predicate applying to all

In the first and most common structure, 凡是 modifies a noun phrase—very often built with a relative clause ending in 的 (such as 凡是……的人, 凡是……的单位, or 凡是……的情况). This entire category serves as the subject of the whole sentence, and the second clause begins directly with 都.

凡是读过那部经典著作的人，都会被作者深邃的历史眼光所打动。

Fánshì dúguò nà bù jīngdiǎn zhùzuò de rén, dōu huì bèi zuòzhě shēnsuì de lìshǐ yǎnguāng suǒ dǎdòng.

Anyone who has read that classic work will be moved by the author's profound historical vision.

Correct: Expresses a general observation about a whole group of readers without exception.

凡是 general condition or category ， subject of the main clause 都 predicate applying to all

In the second structure, the first clause defines a broad category of items or events, and the second clause introduces a separate agent as the subject before 都. In this arrangement, the category introduced by 凡是 functions as the topicalized target that the agent acts upon in every instance.

凡是涉及核心数据安全的操作，相关部门都应当进行双重审核。

Fánshì shèjí héxīn shùjù ānquán de cāozuò, xiāngguān bùmén dōu yīngdāng jìnxíng shuāngchóng shěnhé.

For any operation involving core data security, the relevant departments should conduct a dual review.

Correct: The first clause defines a universal category of operations, while the second clause introduces a separate subject (相关部门) before 都.

凡是能改善生态环境的技术方案，我们团队都愿意投入资金去尝试。

Fánshì néng gǎishàn shēngtài huánjìng de jìshù fāng'àn, wǒmen tuánduì dōu yuànyì tóurù zījīn qù chángshì.

Our team is willing to invest funds to try out any technical proposal that can improve the ecological environment.

Correct: Shows how the category introduced by 凡是 acts as the topicalized object of the second clause.

## Usage Constraints and Common Learner Errors

Pay attention to the category being generalized over and to how the second clause expresses the rule. 都 is the characteristic partner in this syllabus pattern, but it is not obligatory in every sentence beginning with 凡是.

- The condition must represent a class or a repeatable set: Because 凡是 means "every single one that fits the description," the element following it must be a category containing multiple potential members or occurrences. It cannot be a single, unique, already-individuated item.

- Use 都 to practise this paired frame: it explicitly emphasizes every member of the stated category. Other forms, including predicates without a universal adverb, can also be grammatical. For example, the version with 可以申请 below works with or without 都.

× 凡是张教授今天下午发表的这篇论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。

Fánshì Zhāng jiàoshòu jīntiān xiàwǔ fābiǎo de zhè piān lùnwén, dōu yǐnqǐle xuéjiè de guǎngfàn guānzhù.

[Incorrect] Every single one of this paper that Professor Zhang published this afternoon has attracted widespread attention in the academic community.

Incorrect: 凡是 requires a general category or plural set. Here, 这篇论文 refers to one specific, unique paper, creating a logical contradiction. Replace with the general category in “凡是张教授发表的论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。”.

Corrected example: 凡是张教授发表的论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。

凡是张教授发表的论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。

Fánshì Zhāng jiàoshòu fābiǎo de lùnwén, dōu yǐnqǐle xuéjiè de guǎngfàn guānzhù.

Every paper published by Professor Zhang has attracted widespread attention in the academic community.

Correct replacement for “凡是张教授今天下午发表的这篇论文，都引起了学界的广泛关注。”: Removing the singular demonstrative phrase leaves an open category of papers.

凡是符合申报条件的小微企业，可以申请这项专项补贴。

Fánshì fúhé shēnbào tiáojiàn de xiǎowēi qǐyè, kěyǐ shēnqǐng zhè xiàng zhuānxiàng bǔtiē.

All small and micro enterprises meeting the application requirements may apply for this special subsidy.

Valid without 都. Adding 都 in the paired example makes the all-inclusive scope more explicit and demonstrates the syllabus frame; it is not a repair of an ungrammatical sentence.

凡是符合申报条件的小微企业，都可以申请这项专项补贴。

Fánshì fúhé shēnbào tiáojiàn de xiǎowēi qǐyè, dōu kěyǐ shēnqǐng zhè xiàng zhuānxiàng bǔtiē.

All small and micro enterprises that meet the declaration conditions may apply for this special subsidy.

The version with 都 explicitly reinforces that every eligible enterprise is included. Compare it with the valid version without 都.

## Contrasts with Related Patterns

Advanced learners often wonder how 凡是……，都…… differs from other conditional or universal constructions. Understanding the exact focus of each pattern helps you choose the most natural form for your register and communicative goal.

- 凡是……，都…… vs. 只要……，就……: Both translate as "as long as" in some contexts, but 只要……，就…… focuses on a minimum sufficient condition for a result to happen (including one-time future events or single individuals). 凡是……，都…… focuses on the exhaustive scope of a category, emphasizing that zero exceptions exist within that group.

- 凡是……，都…… vs. 无论/不管……，都……: 无论 and 不管 commonly introduce alternatives or an open variable, as in 无论谁 or 无论成功还是失败; the result holds across that range. 凡是 instead directly defines a category. This contrast concerns the function of the phrase introduced, not a ban on question words anywhere in the sentence.

- 凡是 vs. 凡: 凡 is a concise alternative often found in formal rules and notices. Both can be natural in suitable written contexts; choose according to the surrounding style rather than assuming that one is universally better for HSK 6 writing.

Quick check: 凡是 directly defines a category; 无论 or 不管 typically introduces alternatives or a variable such as 无论谁 or 不管在哪里. Identify that function, rather than choosing a connector merely because 什么 or 哪里 appears somewhere inside an embedded phrase.

## Frequently asked questions

**Can 凡是……，都…… be used in questions or with question words like 谁 or 什么?**

Generally no. Because 凡是 asserts a descriptive boundary around a known category, it does not pair with interrogative pronouns used as open variables (use 无论/不管 for that). However, an entire 凡是……，都…… statement can occasionally be turned into a rhetorical question using 难道 or 吗 to challenge an overgeneralization.

**Where exactly does 都 go in the second clause?**

In this paired pattern, 都 normally follows the second-clause subject, if present, and precedes the predicate, as in 相关部门都应当审核. It can precede a modal or negation, but “directly before the verb” is not an absolute adjacency rule: other adverbials may intervene.

**Is 凡是……，都…… only used in written Chinese?**

It is most common in formal writing, policies, and announcements, but it is also used in spoken Chinese when a speaker wants to state a firm principle, make an emphatic generalization, or summarize a consistent rule.

**Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 402](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=402)

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