How to Write 都 (dōu/dū) — Meaning “All / Both / Capital”

Imagine a city (阝) where 'all' the people (者) come together. The right side 者 looks like a person with a hat, so picture everyone in the city wearing a hat – that's 都 meaning 'all' or 'capital'.

The left ear radical 阝 should be small and narrow, about one-third the width of the entire character. A common mistake is making it too big. Also, the right component 者 must have a clear '日' shape in the middle, and the final left-falling stroke and dot should not touch the vertical lines.

都 has a left ear radical (阝) and the right side 者, meaning 'all' or 'capital'. 邾 (zhū) also has a left ear but the right side is 朱 (red or a surname), and it is a rare ancient state name. 郁 (yù) has the ear radical on the right side instead of the left, and means 'gloomy' or 'lush'.

都 is used every day as an adverb meaning 'all' or 'both', often before verbs, for example, 我们都是学生 (We are all students). It can also mean 'capital city' when pronounced dū, as in 北京是中国的首都 (Beijing is the capital of China).

Common words containing 都 include: 都是 (dōu shì) — Are all / Are both; 全都 (quán dōu) — all; without exception; 首都 (shǒu dū) — capital city.