每次...都...

Every Time...

Level 3Sounds Like mui5 ci3 . . . dou1 . . .

Use 每次 (mui5 ci3) to set a condition and 都 (dou1) to show that the result happens every single time.

How It Works

The 每次...都... structure is the standard way to express 'whenever' or 'every time' in Cantonese.

1. The Requirement of 都 (dou1)
Unlike English, where you can simply say 'Every time I go, I buy bread,' Cantonese requires a 'distributive' particle to close the loop. The word 都 (dou1) (meaning 'all' or 'always' in this context) must appear before the verb in the second clause. Without it, the sentence feels incomplete to native speakers.

2. Sentence Structure
The pattern follows this order:

  • [Subject] + 每次 + [Action A], [Subject] + 都 + [Action B]

If the subject is the same for both actions, you usually omit the second subject, but 都 must remain.

3. Colloquial Variation
In casual conversation, you will often hear 次次 (ci3 ci3) instead of 每次. For example: 佢次次嚟都買嘢 (He buys things every time he comes).

4. Immediacy vs. Habit
While 一...就... (as soon as... then...) focuses on how quickly one thing follows another, 每次...都... focuses on the fact that it happens every single time without exception.

Examples (4)

  1. 我每次見到佢都好緊張。

    Every time I see him, I am very nervous.

    Word by Word: I every time see-reach him all very nervous.

    Note how 都 (dou1) appears before the adjective/stative verb 'nervous' to confirm the habit.

  2. 佢每次去旅行都買好多手信。

    Every time he goes traveling, he buys many souvenirs.

    Word by Word: He every time go travel all buy very many souvenirs.

    The subject 'he' is placed before 每次, and 都 is placed before the verb 'buy'.

  3. 我哋每次嚟呢間餐廳都係坐呢個位。

    Every time we come to this restaurant, we sit in this seat.

    Word by Word: We every time come this [CL] restaurant all is sit this [CL] seat.

    Here, 都係 (dou1 hai6) emphasizes that the situation is 'always' the same.

  4. 次次落雨我都會頭痛。

    Every time it rains, I get a headache.

    Word by Word: Time-time fall rain I all will head ache.

    This uses the colloquial '次次' (ci3 ci3) and places the subject 'I' before '都'.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the 都 (dou1) that normally follows 每次.

    每次我見佢，我好開心。
    每次我見佢，我都好開心。

    After 每 (every), Cantonese normally adds 都 (dou1) before the verb of the second clause: 每次我見佢，我都好開心. Without it the sentence sounds less complete, though you may hear it in quick speech.

  • Misplacing '都' before the subject.

    每次去旅行，都佢買好多嘢。
    每次去旅行，佢都買好多嘢。

    都 is an adverb and must be placed after the subject and before the verb.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

每次...都...Level 3Every Time...

Learn This First

To understand '每次...都...', learners first need to know how to use the quantifier '每' (every) with the verbal classifier '次' (times). Crucially, they must understand that in Cantonese, sentences starting with 'every' or 'each' almost always require the adverb '都' before the main verb to indicate that the action applies to all instances.

Words in This Pattern

每次