总之

zǒng zhī

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 5 Conjunction Common

Definitions

1. in a word
2. in short
3. in brief

Word relationships

Synonyms

2 items

• 总而言之 zǒng ér yán zhī 总而言之 zǒng ér yán zhī in short Both mean 'in short' or 'in summary', but 总而言之 is more formal and emphatic.: in short
• 简言之 jiǎn yán zhī 简言之 jiǎn yán zhī in simple terms 简言之 is more literary and often used to rephrase in simpler terms.: in simple terms

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Do not place 总之 at the beginning of a sentence as the only summary word without context; it usually follows a reason or list.

Formality

总之 is neutral and common in both speech and writing, but may sound too casual in very formal reports; consider 总而言之 or 综上所述 in such cases.

Child Words of 总之

• 之 之 zhī: (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de])
• 总 总 zǒng: general; overall