Adverb order in Chinese

[murrayjames]

I'm slowly but surely expanding my arsenal of adverbs... or static verbs, uhm. I don't quite understand the distinction yet.

But what I mean is 都，也，先，有点儿，一定，当然，已经，自己，etc...

My question: Are there conventions for ordering, when using more than one static verb at a time?

If I had to translate this...

"I too have already ordered these books myself."

or

"They definitely all saw the movie a second time."

or

"We'll probably stop off first at the gas station, again."

...I wouldn't know where to start :-)

[leeyah]

Are there conventions for ordering, when using more than one ... at a time?

here's the usual order:

一点儿 + 也

自己 + 也

当然 + 也

先 + 也

or all in one 当然 + 先 + 自己/都 (all)

as 都 and 已经 are synonymous & both mean 'already' you can't use them with this meaning in one sentence, but in: they all saw...for the sec time, word order would be 也 + 都/已经

also: probably + again = 大概 + 再 etc

[xiaocai]

as 都 and 已经 are synonymous & both mean 'already' you can't use them with this meaning in one sentence

Not really. I think there is no problem if you say:

这本书我已经看过好几遍了。

or

这本书我都看过好几遍了。

or

这本书我都已经看过好几遍了。

just the last one will sound more 不耐烦 than the other two.

[leeyah]

这本书我都已经看过好几遍了

No, I think this is mistaken, because the sentence would then translate as: I read all of this book already several times. Or is there such a phrase as 都已经 meaning already, a kind of 强调? (or 不耐烦 ) with stress on 都 ?

The dictionaries give:

1)都 = 表示总括(all)

4)都 = 已经 (already)

+also:

2)都是 = 说明理由, indicating cause：都是你的磨蹭，要不我也不会迟到。

3)都 = 甚至 even (if)

[roddy]

as 都 and 已经 are synonymous & both mean 'already'

I think you're confusing things refering to these as synonymous. While 都 can mean already, it's much more common as 'all' and certainly when 都 and 已经 both appear. I also reckon you can use both in the same sentence as 'already' - 他都已经来了, for example?

[leeyah]

While 都 can mean already, it's much more common as 'all'

That's exactly what I said in post #4, but the way I phrased it as synonymous made it sound different, perhaps. I never meant to exclude the combination in certain contexts. And as Xiaocai said it could be that 都已经 used together actually do add emphasis, 强调语气 in some way as in: Yes! I've already read it! sounding very 不耐烦, rather than just I've read all of it, as 几遍 actually stands for all of it, from beginning to end,. Right?

Or as in 他都已经来了Hasn't he come yet? Yes, he has already arrived (不耐烦地语气) rather than just Has he arrived? Yes, he's here, he's already arrived

[xiaocai]

几遍 actually stands for all of it, from beginning to end,

I think it is better translated as for many times.