Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 一切 | yīqiè |
| 每事 | měishì |
| 什麼都 / 什么都 | shénme dōu |
| 凡事 | fánshì |
| 萬事 / 万事 | wànshì |
In Chinese, there are different ways to express the concept of "everything" depending on whether you are discussing abstract concepts or concrete objects and actions.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 万事 literally means "ten thousand matters", but it is used idiomatically to mean "everything" or "all affairs."
Which one should you use?
一切 is more formal and is typically used for abstract concepts, such as "everything in life" or "everything about a situation". In contrast, 什么都 (or 什麼都) is the most common way to say "everything" in everyday spoken Chinese when referring to concrete things, such as "everything I bought".
How do you pronounce it?
yīqiè
When do people say it?
The phrase 万事如意 is a common formal greeting used during Chinese New Year or other celebrations to wish someone that everything goes according to their wishes.
Did you know?
- The word 万 in 万事 is one of the few characters that can be replaced by a specialized symbol in financial contexts to prevent fraud.
- Using 什么都 (shénme dōu) in a negative sentence can actually mean 'nothing at all', turning 'everything' into its exact opposite.
- The phrase 一切 (yīqiè) contains a character that literally means 'one' and another that means 'cut' or 'separate', though together they form the concept of 'a whole'.
Examples in context
- 一切都在变。Everything is changing.This example shows how to use 一切 to describe a state of change.Tatoeba #6534035 by verdastelo9604, translation #6469251 by OsoHombre
- 祝一切都好！I hope everything goes well!This example uses 一切 to express a hope for a good outcome.Tatoeba #6559030 by xjjAstrus, translation #7790209 by sharris123
- 一切都会好的。Everything will be OK.This example uses 一切 to express a sense of reassurance.Tatoeba #710795 by Yashanti, translation #710797 by CM
- 请帮忙 (qǐng bāng máng)Please help
- 100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are discussing a new project at work.
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，关于这个项目，你觉得一切都准备好了吗？Zhìqiáng, guānyú zhège xiàngmù, nǐ juédé yīqiè dōu zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?Zhiqiang, regarding this project, do you think everything is ready?
- 志强 Zhiqiang是的，目前的一切都按计划进行。Shì de, mùqián de yīqiè dōu àn jìhuà jìnxíng.Yes, everything is proceeding according to plan for now.
- 雨婷 Yuting太好了，希望一切顺利。Tài hǎo le, xīwàng yīqiè shùnlì.Great, I hope everything goes smoothly.
- 志强 Zhiqiang放心吧，雨婷，没问题的。Fàngxīn ba, Yǔtíng, méi wèntí de.Don't worry, Yuting, it will be fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “everything” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
