都grammar point · tier 1 · 都₂ already (this much) — emphatic high-count/time, with 了
· dōu
Already, by now: 都 before a count, span, or stage and 了 at the end says the tally has climbed this high, with the weight that it is high enough to expect things had moved on.
A count or time has piled up high enough that you expected a different outcome by now.
序 · The move
1Put 都 before the predicate that carries the count, span, or stage.Is there a number of times, a length of time, or a stage reached for 都 to total up?
2Close the clause with 了 to fix where the total now stands.Does 了 sit at the end, marking the count as reached by the present moment?
3Read it with the weight that this much should have changed things.Does the sentence imply an expected outcome that did not follow, not just a neutral fact?
例 · Examples
1都already (this much)提醒remind過(experienced)幾次several times了(the count now stands here)，他he還是still忘記forget還書return the book。
I've reminded him several times already, and he still forgets to return the book.
已經 reports a plain fact that something has happened by now; 都₂ adds the weight that the count is high enough to have expected a different result. 都₂ leans toward complaint, 已經 stays neutral.
都₁ before the verb sweeps a set named on its left (all of them do this); 都₂ before the verb totals a count or span up to now (this much has happened already). Same slot, one gathers members, the other gathers occurrences.
他都提醒過幾次。 → 都提醒過幾次了。 (都₂ needs final 了 to fix the running total at now.)
都提醒他幾次了，但是沒關係。 → 都提醒過幾次了，他還是忘記。 (都₂ sets up a let-down; pairing it with an untroubled follow-up loses the move.)
我都到了。 → 大家都到了。 (a single 我 has nothing to total; 都₂ needs an accumulated count or span.)
English already marks plain completion (I've already done it) and floats freely in the clause. 都₂ holds the fixed slot before the predicate and carries an edge of impatience that already does not.