总 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) general; overall; to sum up; in every case; always; invariably
How to write 总, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 总
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) general; overall
- to sum up
- in every case; always; invariably
- anyway; after all; eventually; sooner or later
- surely
- (after a person's name) abbr. for 總經理|总经理[zong3 jing1 li3] or 總編|总编[zong3 bian1] etc
How 总 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Many mouths 口 speaking with one mind 心.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 总
Picture two little strokes 丷 on top, a mouth 口 in the middle, and a heart 心 at the bottom. Many mouths 口 speaking with one mind 心 means everything is gathered together into one overall whole.
总 (zǒng) is most often used as an adverb meaning "always" or "after all," and as a prefix meaning "general" or "chief," as in 总经理 (zǒngjīnglǐ, general manager). Example: 他总是迟到。(Tā zǒngshì chídào.) He is always late.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 总 (zǒng) with 忽 (hū, suddenly), since both have 心 at the bottom. Check the top: 总 has 丷 over 口, while 忽 has 勿.
Common words with 总
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 总是 | zǒngshì | always | HSK 3 |
| 总结 | zǒngjié | to sum up; to conclude | HSK 3 |
| 总统 | zǒngtǒng | president (of a country) | HSK 4 |
| 总之 | zǒngzhī | in a word; in short | HSK 4 |
| 总理 | zǒnglǐ | premier; prime minister | HSK 4 |
| 总共 | zǒnggòng | altogether; in sum; in all; in total | HSK 4 |
| 总算 | zǒngsuàn | at long last; finally | HSK 5 |
| 总裁 | zǒngcái | chairman; director-general (of a company etc) | HSK 5 |
| 总体 | zǒngtǐ | completely; totally | HSK 5 |
| 总数 | zǒngshù | total; sum | HSK 5 |
| 总部 | zǒngbù | headquarters | HSK 6 |
| 总监 | zǒngjiān | head; director (of an organizational unit) | HSK 6 |
| 总经理 | zǒngjīnglǐ | general manager; CEO | HSK 6 |
| 总量 | zǒngliàng | total; overall amount | HSK 6 |
总 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 总
Learning 总 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 总
How many strokes are in 总?
总 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 总 mean?
总 (zǒng) means (bound form) general; overall; to sum up; in every case; always; invariably. A common word with it is 总是 (zǒngshì), meaning "always".
How do you pronounce 总?
总 is pronounced zǒng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 总?
The radical of 总 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 总 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 总?
The traditional form of 总 is 總. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 总 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 总 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 总 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 总是 and 总共?
总是 (zǒngshì) means "always" and describes how often something happens. 总共 (zǒnggòng) means "in total" and is used with numbers, as in 总共十块 (zǒnggòng shí kuài), ten yuan in total.
Why do people say 王总 at work?
After a surname, 总 is a short title for a senior boss such as a general manager or chief editor. 王总 (Wáng zǒng) is a polite way to address Mr. or Ms. Wang, the boss.