甚至 · 连……也／都……
even: points to the most extreme case
Structure
A ， 甚至 B · 连 + 名词／动词 + 也／都 + ……
What it means
Both mean “even”: they point to the most extreme or surprising case. 连……都／也 marks one item; 甚至 adds a stronger second step to what came before.
How it is built
连 + surprising case + 都／也 + verb: 她连饭都忘了吃 (she even forgot to eat). A，甚至 B: 东西很贵，一碗面甚至要一百多块 (things are dear; a bowl of noodles even costs over 100 yuan).
When to use it
连……都 works inside one clause, around a noun or verb; 甚至 links two parts and pushes the idea further. The two often go together: 甚至连老师都不知道 (even the teacher didn’t know).
Watch out
Never leave out 都 or 也 after a 连 phrase: ✗ 这个问题连小孩子知道。 ✓ 这个问题连小孩子都知道。 都／也 comes right after the 连 phrase, before the verb.
Examples
写论文最忙的时候，她连饭都忘了吃。
When she was busiest with her dissertation, she even forgot to eat.
这个问题太简单了，连小孩子都知道。
This question is so easy that even a small child knows the answer.
他很喜欢这本小说，甚至看了五遍。
He loves this novel so much that he has even read it five times.
Learn this in HSK 4 · Lesson 7: 留学回来 (Back from abroad)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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