總 meaning and stroke order
To gather, to collect; overall, altogether
How to write 總, stroke by stroke
17 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 總
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 總 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 悤 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 總
總 is built from 糹 (silk thread) on the left, which gives the meaning, and 悤 (cōng) on the right, which hints at the sound. Picture many loose threads gathered and tied into one bundle, so 總 means to gather everything together, overall, altogether.
總 is the traditional form of 总, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and older texts. It often works as an adverb meaning always or sooner or later, and it starts many words like 總是 (zǒngshì, always) and 總統 (zǒngtǒng, president). Example: 他總是遲到。(Tā zǒngshì chídào.) He is always late.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 總是 (zǒngshì, always) and 總算 (zǒngsuàn, finally). 總算 is for something that happened at long last, not a repeated habit. Also keep the third tone in zǒng and do not confuse it with 縱 (zòng, vertical; to indulge), which shares the 糹 side.
Common words with 總
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 總是 | zǒngshì | always | HSK 3 |
| 總結 | zǒngjié | to sum up; to conclude | HSK 3 |
| 總統 | zǒngtǒng | president (of a country) | HSK 4 |
| 總之 | zǒngzhī | in a word; in short | HSK 4 |
| 總理 | zǒnglǐ | premier; prime minister | HSK 4 |
| 總共 | zǒnggòng | altogether; in sum; in all; in total | HSK 4 |
| 總算 | zǒngsuàn | at long last; finally | HSK 5 |
| 總裁 | zǒngcái | chairman; director-general (of a company etc) | HSK 5 |
| 總體 | zǒngtǐ | completely; totally | HSK 5 |
| 總數 | zǒngshù | total; sum | HSK 5 |
| 總部 | zǒngbù | headquarters | HSK 6 |
| 總監 | zǒngjiān | head; director (of an organizational unit) | HSK 6 |
| 總經理 | zǒngjīnglǐ | general manager; CEO | HSK 6 |
| 總量 | zǒngliàng | total; overall amount | HSK 6 |
Questions about 總
How many strokes are in 總?
總 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 總 mean?
總 (zǒng) means to gather, to collect; overall, altogether. A common word with it is 总是 (zǒngshì), meaning "always".
How do you pronounce 總?
總 is pronounced zǒng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 總?
The radical of 總 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 總 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 總?
總 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 总, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 總 mean after a person's name, like 王總?
It is a polite short title for a boss, such as a general manager (總經理) or chief editor (總編). 王總 (Wáng zǒng) is how staff might address a manager surnamed Wang.
How is 總之 different from 總共?
總之 (zǒngzhī) means in short and is used to wrap up what you said. 總共 (zǒnggòng) means in total and is used with numbers, as in 總共三百塊 (zǒnggòng sānbǎi kuài), 300 yuan in total.