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总结 (zǒng jié) — (verb) to summarize, to sum up; (noun) summary

Definition

A common, all-purpose 'to summarize / summary' (verb and noun). 概括 focuses on briefly distilling key points; 综合 means synthesizing different parts into a whole.

verb
to summarizeto sum up
noun
summary
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 总结。
    Qǐng nǐ zǒng jié yí xià zhè ge yuè de gōng zuò.
    Please summarize this month's work.
  • 总结。
    Tā xiě le yí fèn xiáng xì de zǒng jié.
    He wrote a detailed summary.
  • 总结，。
    Tōng guò zhè cì zǒng jié, wǒ xué dào le hěn duō.
    Through this summary, I learned a lot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

总zǒngoverall
结jiéconclude

总 means overall, and 结 means to conclude.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 總; 总 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
悤
悤cōng總zǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 總 has 糸, a rope, and 悤 as a sound part; the rope part is for binding together. This account is for 總, not for 总.

Open 总 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Thinking & Cognition

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