总共 (zǒng gòng) — altogether, in total

Definition

Used before a number or quantity to say 'in total, altogether' — more formal than 一起 and interchangeable with 一共 in this 'sum' sense.

adverb

altogetherin total

总共。
Zhè cì kǎo shì zǒng gòng yǒu sān shí dào tí.
This exam has 30 questions in total.
总共。
Wǒ men zǒng gòng huā le sān gè xiǎo shí.
We spent three hours altogether.
总共。
Gōng sī zǒng gòng yǒu wǔ shí gè yuán gōng.
The company has 50 employees in total.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

总 and 共 both point to the whole amount or total.

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Appears in