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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'total' or 'altogether' with 共 (gòng)

    Listing & Enumeration
    Numbers & Quantity

    Structure

    共 + Verb + Number + Measure Word

    Explanation

    共 (gòng) means "total," "altogether," or "in all." It is an adverb placed before a verb to indicate the total amount or sum of something. It is often interchangeable with 一共 in spoken Chinese.

    Examples

    • 我们班共有三十五个学生。

      wǒmen bān gòng yǒu sānshíwǔ gè xuéshēng.

      Our class has a total of thirty-five students.

    • 这次活动共花了两万块钱。

      zhè cì huódòng gòng huā le liǎng wàn kuài qián.

      This event cost a total of twenty thousand yuan.

    • 他在这家公司共工作了十二年。

      tā zài zhè jiā gōngsī gòng gōngzuò le shí'èr nián.

      He worked at this company for a total of twelve years.

    Similar Grammar

    Expressing 'total' or 'altogether' with 共 (gòng) | Chinese Grammar