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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'in total' with 共 (gòng)

    Numbers & Quantity

    Structure

    共 + Verb + Number + Measure Word + Noun

    Explanation

    共 (gòng) means "in total" or "altogether" and is placed before a verb or number to indicate a cumulative sum. It is a concise alternative to 一共, commonly used in news and formal writing.

    Examples

    • 这次会议共有三十多个国家参加。

      zhè cì huì yì gòng yǒu sān shí duō gè guó jiā cān jiā.

      A total of more than thirty countries participated in this meeting.

    • 我们班共来了五位新同学。

      wǒ men bān gòng lái le wǔ wèi xīn tóng xué.

      A total of five new classmates joined our class.

    • 这个项目共花了两年时间才完成。

      zhè gè xiàng mù gòng huā le liǎng nián shí jiān cái wán chéng.

      This project took a total of two years to complete.

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    Expressing 'in total' with 共 (gòng) | Chinese Grammar