Meaning of 总是
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- always
How to use 总是
总是 goes before the verb or adjective to describe a habit or something that happens every time. 他总是迟到。(Tā zǒngshì chídào.) He is always late.
总 (zǒng) means all or overall, and 是 (shì) means is. Think of it as "all the time it is so," which gives you always.
Common mistake: Learners often put 总是 at the start or end of the sentence like English "always." It must come after the subject and before the verb, so say 我总是早起 (wǒ zǒngshì zǎoqǐ), not 总是我早起.
总是 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
总 zǒng · general · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
是 shì · to be · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 总是.
| 还是 | háishi | still (as before); had better |
| 是不是 | shì bu shì | is or is not (used to form yes-no questions) |
| 但是 | dànshì | but; however |
| 可是 | kěshì | but; however; (used for emphasis) indeed |
| 正是 | zhèngshì | is precisely |
| 老是 | lǎoshì | always |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; precisely; only; simply; just |
| 只是 | zhǐshì | merely; only; just; nothing but; simply |
| 要是 | yàoshi | (coll.) if |
| 有的是 | yǒudeshì | have plenty of; there's no lack of |
| 总结 | zǒngjié | to sum up; to conclude |
| 是否 | shìfǒu | whether (or not); if |
Questions about 总是
What does 总是 mean?
总是 (zǒngshì) means "always" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 总是?
总是 is made of 2 characters: 总 (9 strokes), 是 (9 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 总是 an HSK word?
Yes. 总是 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 总是 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 总是 is written 總是.
What is the difference between 总是 and 老是?
Both mean always. 老是 (lǎoshì) is more casual and often sounds like a complaint, as in 你老是忘 (you keep forgetting). 总是 is more neutral and works for good or bad habits.
How do I say "not always" with 总是?
Put 不 before 总是: 他不总是这样 (tā bù zǒngshì zhèyàng), he is not always like this. To say "always not," put 不 after it: 他总是不吃早饭, he never eats breakfast.