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Expressing 'total' or 'general' with 总 (zǒng)
Degree & Intensity
Numbers & Quantity
Structure
总 + Noun
Explanation
The adjective 总 (zǒng) means 'total,' 'overall,' or 'general' and is placed before nouns to indicate an aggregate or comprehensive amount. It appears in many common compounds like 总收入 (total income), 总统 (president), and 总结 (summary). It can also function as an adverb meaning 'always' or 'invariably.'
Examples
这个项目的总投入超过了五百万。
Zhège xiàngmù de zǒng tóurù chāoguò le wǔbǎi wàn.
The total investment in this project exceeded five million.
请你做一个总结，把今天讨论的要点列出来。
Qǐng nǐ zuò yí gè zǒngjié, bǎ jīntiān tǎolùn de yàodiǎn liè chūlái.
Please make a summary and list the key points discussed today.
总收入虽然增加了，但是成本也高了不少。
Zǒng shōurù suīrán zēngjiā le, dànshì chéngběn yě gāo le bù shǎo.
Although total revenue increased, the costs also rose quite a bit.