所有 (Suǒyǒu) focuses on all members of a group or specific things in a category.
Always modifies nouns.
Focuses on individual items.
Examples:所有人都到了Suǒyǒu rén dōu dào leEveryone has arrived.
他把所有的钱都花光了Tā bǎ suǒyǒu de qián dōu huā guāng leHe spent all of his money.
全部 (Quánbù) refers to the whole or totality of something.
Can modify nouns or verbs.
Focuses on the entire collection or action.
Examples:全部工作都完成了Quánbù gōngzuò dōu wánchéng leAll the work has been completed.
他把全部的钱都花光了Tā bǎ quánbù de qián dōu huā guāng leHe spent all the money.
他全部都做完了Tā quánbù dōu zuò wán leHe has done it all.
Key differences:
所有 (Suǒyǒu) | 全部 (Quánbù) |
Focuses on individual parts | Focuses on the whole |
Always modifies nouns | Can modify nouns or verbs |
所有人 (Suǒyǒu rén) (everyone) | 全部工作 (Quánbù gōngzuò) (all the work) |
Quick tip:
Think of 所有 (Suǒyǒu) as the detail-focused sibling.
Think of 全部 (Quánbù) as the big-picture thinker.
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