总量 (zǒng liàng) — total amount, total quantity

Definition

Refers to the grand total or aggregate amount of something countable or measurable (output, emissions, sales). Used in formal/report contexts; for everyday 'total' of a sum, 总数 is more common.

noun
total amounttotal quantity

Examples

  • 总量。
    Jīn nián liáng shi zǒng liàng bǐ qù nián zēng jiā le bǎi fēn zhī wǔ.
    The total grain output this year increased by five percent compared to last year.
  • 总量。
    Wǒ men xū yào kòng zhì tàn pái fàng zǒng liàng.
    We need to control the total carbon emissions.
  • 总量。
    Zhè ge yuè de xiāo shòu é zǒng liàng dá dào le lì shǐ xīn gāo.
    The total sales amount this month reached a new historical high.

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zǒngtotal
量liángamount

The sense of 总 being all together with 量 as amount gives the total quantity.

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 →

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

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.