总 (zǒng) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 总 (zǒng) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 总 (zǒng) means "always; total; general". It is an HSK Level 3 character, with 9 strokes and the radical 心.

Q: How do you write 总 stroke by stroke?

总 has 9 strokes. The radical is 心. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 总 and 忌?

总 (zǒng) and 忌 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 总?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 心. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 总?

Common words containing 总 include: 总是 (zǒng shì) — always; 总共 (zǒng gòng) — in total; altogether; 总结 (zǒng jié) — Summary; to summarize.

How to Write 总

The character 总 (zǒng) is written with 9 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 心 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

Meaning & Pronunciation

总 is pronounced zǒng in Mandarin Chinese. It means always; total; general.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 总 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 总

总是 zǒng shì

always

总共 zǒng gòng

in total; altogether

总结 zǒng jié

Summary; to summarize

Example Sentences

他总是迟到。

tā zǒng shì chí dào

He is always late.

这里总共十块钱。

zhè lǐ zǒng gòng shí kuài qián

It is ten yuan in total here.

我们要好好总结。

wǒ men yào hǎo hǎo zǒng jié

We should summarize properly.

Similar Characters

忌 jì

忍 rěn

忐 tǎn

Practice Writing 总 (zǒng)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 总 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 总

What does 总 (zǒng) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 总 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 总 and 忌?

What mistakes do learners make writing 总?

What common words use 总?

How to Write 总 (zǒng)