都

Note that there are two Unicode z-variants, with code points U+90FD and U+FA26 (the latter is a compatibility variant and contains an extra dot below 耂 in 者).

都 (Kangxi radical 163, 邑+8 in Chinese, 邑+9 in Japanese, 11 strokes, cangjie input 十日弓中 (JANL), four-corner 4762₇, composition ⿰者阝)

• 嘟, 𢵋, 𨗊, 𣛭, 𡳤, 𨅮, 𩼁, 𡳣, 𡼞, 𡳢, 𦺥, 𥳉, 𧹼

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1274, character 9
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 39497
• Dae Jaweon: page 1773, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 3776, character 7
• Unihan data for U+90FD
• Unihan data for U+FA26

Historical forms of the character 都
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *taː) : phonetic 者 (OC *tjaːʔ) + semantic 邑 (“town, city”).

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

都

1. metropolis; large city

   都市  ―  dūshì  ―  metropolis; major city

2. capital; capital city

   都城  ―  dūchéng  ―  capital

3. (literary) to make a place the capital city; to establish a capital

   • 帝王所都為中，故曰中國。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     帝王所都为中，故曰中国。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Liu Xi (劉熈), quoted in 5th century, 《史記集解》Records of the Grand Historian - Collected Explanations by Pei Yin (裴駰)

     Dìwáng suǒdōu wèi zhōng, gù yuē zhōngguó. [Pinyin]

     Where emperors and kings make to be the capital is taken as the centre, hence the appellation the central region.

4. (obsolete) graceful; elegant
5. a surname. Du

• (metropolis):

Colloquial form of 諸 (OC *tja, “all”) (Schuessler, 2007).

都

1. all; both (used to indicate that the statement is true for every subject or object); or the entirety of something

   我都知道了。  ―  Wǒ dōu zhīdào le.  ―  I know everything. [ambiguous; may also mean “Even I know”.]

   他比任何人都好。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Tā bǐ rènhé rén dōu hǎo. [Pinyin]

   He is better than anyone else.

   這裡的人我都認識。 [MSC, trad.]
   这里的人我都认识。 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhèlǐ de rén wǒ dōu rènshí. [Pinyin]

   I know everyone here.

   現在在超市什麼都買得到。 [MSC, trad.]
   现在在超市什么都买得到。 [MSC, simp.]

   Xiànzài zài chāoshì shénme dōu mǎi de dào. [Pinyin]

   These days everything can be bought from a supermarket.

   他什麼電影都不看。 [MSC, trad.]
   他什么电影都不看。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā shénme diànyǐng dōu bù kàn. [Pinyin]

   He doesn't watch any movies.

   我真羨慕他，在哪裡都能睡得著。 [MSC, trad.]
   我真羡慕他，在哪里都能睡得着。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ zhēn xiànmù tā, zài nǎlǐ dōu néng shuìdezháo. [Pinyin]

   I really envy him; he can sleep wherever he is.

   大都  ―  dàdōu  ―  generally

   吹到成牆都係 [Cantonese, trad.]
   吹到成墙都系 [Cantonese, simp.]

   ceoi¹ dou³ sing⁴ coeng⁴ dou¹ hai⁶ [Jyutping]

   blown by the wind until it has covered the entire wall

2. (emphasis on subject) even

   我都不知道，你是怎麼知道的？ [MSC, trad.]
   我都不知道，你是怎么知道的？ [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ dōu bù zhīdào, nǐ shì zěnme zhīdào de? [Pinyin]

   How come you know it when even I don't know?

3. (emphasis on object) even, interchangeable with 也 (yě)

   我身上一分錢都沒有。 [MSC, trad.]
   我身上一分钱都没有。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ shēnshàng yī fēn qián dōu méiyǒu. [Pinyin]

   I don't even have a single cent.

   我給她打了四個電話，她一個都沒接。 [MSC, trad.]
   我给她打了四个电话，她一个都没接。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ gěi tā dǎ le sì ge diànhuà, tā yīge dōu méi jiē. [Pinyin]

   I called her four times, but she answered none of them.

   1. (emphasis) Used in the 連……都…… structure; interchangeable with 也 (yě); even

      他連畜生都不如，連自己的父母都不養活。 [MSC, trad.]
      他连畜生都不如，连自己的父母都不养活。 [MSC, simp.]

      Tā lián chùsheng dōu bùrú, lián zìjǐ de fùmǔ dōu bù yǎnghuo. [Pinyin]

      He is no better than an animal, because he doesn't even support his own parents.

4. already

   都四點了。／都四点了。  ―  Dōu sì diǎn le.  ―  It is already 4 o'clock.

   都這麼晚了嗎？／都这么晚了吗？  ―  Dōu zhème wǎn le ma?  ―  Is it that late already?

5. (Cantonese) as well; also; too

   我都好好。 [Guangzhou Cantonese]  ―  ngo⁵ dou¹ hou² hou². [Jyutping]  ―  I'm fine too.

6. (Cantonese) still; anyways; nevertheless

• When negating 都, the placement of 不 (bù) is important.

不都: not all, not everyone.

都不: none, no one

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 都)

• Go-on: つ (tsu, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: と (to, Jōyō)
• Kun: みやこ (miyako, 都, Jōyō); いち (ichi, 都); あつまる (atsumaru, 都まる); あつめる (atsumeru, 都める)^{←あつむ (atumu, 都む, historical)}; すべて (subete, 都て); すべる (suberu, 都べる)
• Nanori: いち (ichi); くに (kuni); さと (sato); ひろ (hiro); みやこ (miyako)

• 都(ど)都(ど)一(いつ) (dodoitsu), 都(ど)都(ど)逸(いつ) (dodoitsu)

⟨mi₁yako₁⟩ → */mʲijakʷo/ → /mijako/

From Old Japanese, a compound of 宮(みや) (miya, “imperial palace”) + 処(こ) (ko, “place”).

• (Tokyo) みやこ [mìyákó] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [mʲija̠ko̞]

都(みやこ) • (miyako) 

1. (archaic) the place of residence of the emperor
2. (by extension) a capital city
3. (by extension) a capital (most important city in the field specified)
4. (shogi, colloquial) Short for 都詰め (miyakozume): moving the 王将 (ōshō)/玉将 (gyokushō, “king”) to the center of the board with other pieces close together

• 住(す)めば都(みやこ) (sumeba miyako)

• → English: Meaco (“Kyōto”)
• → Latin: Meacum (“Kyōto”)

都(みやこ) • (Miyako) 

1. a placename
2. a surname
3. a female given name

From Middle Chinese 都 (MC tu).

The 漢音 (kan'on, literally “Han sound”) reading, so likely a later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

• (Tokyo) と [tò] (Heiban – [0])[2]
• IPA^(key): [to̞]

都(と) • (to) 

1. a capital city
2. a city, metropolis
3. Short for 東京都 (Tōkyō-to): the capital prefecture of Tokyo

都(と) • (to) 

1. city, metropolis
2. capital city
3. elegant, graceful, refined
4. gather, command

都(と) • (-to) 

1. counter for metropolis prefectures

• Since 東(とう)京(きょう)都(と) (Tōkyō-to) is the only prefecture with 都(と) (-to), the counter only appears as 一(いっ)都(と) (itto). It combines with the other prefecture counters 県(けん) (-ken), 道(どう) (-dō) and 府(ふ) (-fu) to count prefectures of mixed types.

From Middle Chinese 都 (MC tu).

The 呉音 (goon, literally “Wu sound”) reading, so likely an earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese.

都(つ) • (tsu) 

1. all, both, everyone, whole

• 都(つ)合(ごう) (tsugō)
• 都(つ)度(ど) (tsudo)

都 (eumhun 도읍 도 (do'eup do))

1. Hanja form^? of 도 (“capital city”).
2. Hanja form^? of 도 (“all, the whole”).
3. Hanja form^? of 도 (“elegant, refined”).

• 도시 (都市, dosi, “city”)
• 수도 (首都, sudo, “capital”)

(grade 3 “Kyōiku” kanji, shinjitai kanji, kyūjitai form 都)

• On (unclassified): ち (chi); とぅ (tu)

• 都(ち)合(ごー) (chigō)
• 京(ちょー)都(とぅ) (Chōtu)

• 京, 京都

Originally a compound of 宮 (mi₁ya, “palace”) and an uncertain こ (ko₁) referring to a place.

• The ko is possibly 処 (ko₂, affix indicating location), according to most dictionaries. However, poems in the Man'yōshū attest overwhelming phonetic usage of ⟨ko₁⟩ instead of ⟨ko₂⟩. There has likely been a vowel assimilation; it accounts for a form of this affix く (ku, place) (e.g. いづく (iduku, “where”)) (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?).
• Alternatively, the ko might be from 子 (-ko₁, diminutive suffix), as some Man'yōshū poems use the 宮子 reading.

都 (mi₁yako₁) (kana みやこ)

1. the place of residence of the emperor, especially a temporary lodging in which the emperor stays during an imperial visit
2. (by extension) a capital city

• 奈良の都 (Nara no₂ mi₁yako₁)

• Japanese: 都 (miyako)

都: Hán Nôm readings: đô

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.