也 (yě) means "also" or "too", and 都 (dōu) means "all" or "both". They follow the same word-order rule: after the subject, before the verb or adjective. They never go at the start or the end of the sentence.
Subject + 也 + verb or adjective.
In English, "too" can go at the end of the sentence. In Chinese, 也 always comes after the subject and before the verb or adjective, and also before words like 很, 不 and 想. This is true even when the "also" is about the object: "I like reading, and I also like films" is 我喜欢看书，也喜欢看电影, with 也 before the second 喜欢.
Plural subject + 都 + verb or adjective.
都 looks back at the words in front of it and says that all of them are included: we, these books, Mum and I. With two people or things it means "both". It is very common after time words such as 天天 (every day).
Learners often put 也 or 都 where the English word goes. 也我是学生 and 我是学生也 are both wrong; say 我也是学生. In the same way, "all of us are going" is 我们都去, never 都我们去.
Because 都 only looks backwards, the things it covers must come before it. To say "I like both of these", move 这两个 to the front: 这两个我都喜欢. And when you use 也 and 都 together, 也 comes first: 也都.
For negatives, 也 and 都 come before 不 or 没有. 也不 and 也没有 mean "not either". 都不 means "none of them", but 不都 means "not all of them", so the order changes the meaning.
To ask a question, just add 吗 at the end. The word order stays the same.
Practise this grammar point on paper: 20 exercises using only HSK 1 words, with an answer key on a separate page. Free to print and copy for your class.
Every example on this page uses only words up to HSK 1. Paste your own sentences into the level checker to see which words, if any, are above your level.