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The Chinese adverb "大都" (dà dū) translates to "mostly" or "for the most part" in English. It is used to indicate that a statement applies to the majority of a subject group, but not necessarily to every individual within that group. This adverb is particularly useful for expressing generalizations or trends.
参加划船比赛的大都是女生。
(Most of the participants in the rowing competition are girls.)
Here, "大都" indicates that while the majority of participants are girls, there may be some boys as well.
我们班的学生大都很爱学习。
(Most of the students in our class love to study.)
In this sentence, "大都" suggests that while many students enjoy studying, there could be a few who do not.
小孩儿大都喜欢吃甜的。
(Most children like to eat sweet things.)
This example shows that while it is common for children to enjoy sweets, it does not imply that every child shares this preference.
In summary, "大都" is a scope adverb that helps convey the idea of majority without implying universality. It is a valuable tool for making general statements about groups in Chinese.