Difference between revisions of "Comparing "zongsuan" and “zhongyu""
 
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{{Grammar Box}}
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{{Grammar Box}}  
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[[Adverb]]s is 总算 (zǒngsuàn) and 终于 (zhōngyú) both can be translated as "finally" or "in the end," but they subtly different in tone.
  
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One of the challenges of intermediate learners of Chinese is that they start to learn words that are pretty similar, but have different uses. One of pair of confusing words is 总算 and 终于.They both can be translated as "in the end", but they are not quite the same. Here we will learn the similarities and differences between the two.
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== Same Grammatical Structure ==
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== They have the same grammatical structure ==
 
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总算 and 终于 arte basically used the same way. They are both adverbs, and they can be placed before the subject or after the subject. However, in comparison to 终于, 总算 is seldom used before the subject.
 
  
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Grammatically, 总算 and 终于 are used basically the same way. They are both adverbs, and they can be placed before the subject or after the subject. However, in comparison to 终于, 总算 is seldom used ''before'' the subject. In the simple sentences given below, however, they are fully interchangeable.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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Subject + 总算/终于 + Verb
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Subj. + 总算 / 终于 + Verb
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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*你<em>总算</em>来了。
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*你 <em>总算</em> 来了 ！<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zǒngsuàn</em> lái le!</span><span class="trans">You finally came!</span>
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*你<em>终于</em>来了。
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*我 <em>终于</em> 懂 了 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zhōngyú</em> dǒng le.</span><span class="trans">I finally understood it.</span>
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*雨 <em>总算</em> 停 了 。<span class="pinyin">Yǔ <em>zǒngsuàn</em> tíng le.</span><span class="trans">The rain finally stopped.</span>
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*我 <em>终于</em> 找到 你 了 ！<span class="pinyin">Wǒ <em>zhōngyú</em> zhǎodào nǐ le!</span><span class="trans">I finally found you!</span>
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*飞机 <em>总算</em> 起飞 了 ！<span class="pinyin">Fēijī <em>zǒngsuàn</em> qǐfēi le!</span><span class="trans">The plane is finally taking off!</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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== 总算 emphasizes subjectivity ==
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== 总算 is More Informal and Impatient ==
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Both 总算 and 终于 express an action that happens after a long time, however 总算 implies that the speaker is speaking subjectively, and it has a heavier tone.
 
  
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Both 总算 and 终于 express that an action has ''finally'' happened after a long wait, however 总算 implies that the speaker had a bit of an agonizing wait, and it has a heavier tone better suited to complaints.
  
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=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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* 谢天谢地，你 <em>总算</em> 来 了。
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* 谢天谢地，你 <em>总算</em> 来 了。<span class="pinyin">Xiè tiān xiè dì, nǐ <em>zǒngsuàn</em> lái le.</span><span class="trans">Thank God, you ''finally'' came.</span>
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* <em>总算</em> 没 迟到。
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* <em>总算</em> 没 迟到。<span class="pinyin"><em>Zǒngsuàn</em> méi chídào.</span><span class="trans">You ''finally'' didn't arrive late.</span>
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* 她 的 感冒 <em>总算</em> 好 了。
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* 她 的 感冒 <em>总算</em> 好 了。<span class="pinyin">Tā de gǎnmào <em>zǒngsuàn</em> hǎo le.</span><span class="trans">She ''finally'' got over her cold.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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== 终于 can emphasizes objectivity or subjectivity ==
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== 终于 is more formal and objective ==
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终于 is more formal than 总算 (in other words, 送算 is more for spoken Chinese), and it also has an objective feel or a subjective feel, depending on the context of the sentence.
 
  
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终于 is more formal than 总算 (in other words, 总算 is more for spoken Chinese), and it also has a more objective feel (meaning that the speaker isn't just being impatient and there was indeed a very long wait for this thing that ''finally'' happened).
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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* <em>终于</em> 离婚 了，你 很 高兴 是 不 是？
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*你 <em>终于</em> 决定 了！<span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>zhōngyú</em> juédìng le!</span><span class="trans">You finally decided!</span>
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* 两 年 以后，这 个 项目 <em>终于</em> 完成 了。
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*<em>终于</em> 要 放假 了，开心 吧？<span class="pinyin"><em>Zhōngyú</em> yào fàngjià le, kāixīn ba?</span><span class="trans">You're finally going on vacation. You're happy about it, aren't you?</span>
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* 你 <em>终于</em> 决定 不 去 留学 了？
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*你们 合作 的 项目 <em>终于</em> 成功 了!<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen hézuò de xiàngmù <em>zhōngyú</em> chénggōng le!</span><span class="trans">This project you've been working on together has finally succeeded!</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Sources and further reading ==
 
== Sources and further reading ==
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
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*[[现代汉语
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{{Source|现代汉语八百词（增订本）|687}}
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{{Source|现代汉语虚词例释| 653}}
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{{Source|New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)|18}}
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=== Dictionaries ===
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{{Source|现代汉语词典（第5版）|1814, 1767}}
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=== Websites ===
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* Chinesegrammar.info: [http://chinesegrammar.info/vocabulary/zhong1yu2-zui4hou4-difference/ A blog with some information on 终于 by comparing it to 最后.]
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[[Category:grammar comparison]]
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{{Basic Grammar|总算|B2|总算 vs 终于|今天 的 会 <em>终于</em> 开 完 了！你 <em>总算</em> 来 了。|grammar point|ASGT8AUA}}
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{{Rel char|终于}}
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{{Similar|Expressing "finally" with "zhongyu"}}
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{{Used for|Describing actions}}
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{{Comparison|Auxiliary Words}}

Latest revision as of 03:21, 4 January 2021

Chinese-grammar-wiki－终于.jpg

Adverbs is 总算 (zǒngsuàn) and 终于 (zhōngyú) both can be translated as "finally" or "in the end," but they subtly different in tone.

Same Grammatical Structure

Grammatically, 总算 and 终于 are used basically the same way. They are both adverbs, and they can be placed before the subject or after the subject. However, in comparison to 终于, 总算 is seldom used before the subject. In the simple sentences given below, however, they are fully interchangeable.

Subj. + 总算 / 终于 + Verb

Examples

  • 你 总算 来了 ！Nǐ zǒngsuàn lái le!You finally came!
  • 我 终于 懂 了 。Wǒ zhōngyú dǒng le.I finally understood it.
  • 雨 总算 停 了 。Yǔ zǒngsuàn tíng le.The rain finally stopped.
  • 我 终于 找到 你 了 ！Wǒ zhōngyú zhǎodào nǐ le!I finally found you!
  • 飞机 总算 起飞 了 ！Fēijī zǒngsuàn qǐfēi le!The plane is finally taking off!

总算 is More Informal and Impatient

Both 总算 and 终于 express that an action has finally happened after a long wait, however 总算 implies that the speaker had a bit of an agonizing wait, and it has a heavier tone better suited to complaints.

Examples

  • 谢天谢地，你 总算 来 了。Xiè tiān xiè dì, nǐ zǒngsuàn lái le.Thank God, you finally came.
  • 总算 没 迟到。Zǒngsuàn méi chídào.You finally didn't arrive late.
  • 她 的 感冒 总算 好 了。Tā de gǎnmào zǒngsuàn hǎo le.She finally got over her cold.

终于 is more formal and objective

终于 is more formal than 总算 (in other words, 总算 is more for spoken Chinese), and it also has a more objective feel (meaning that the speaker isn't just being impatient and there was indeed a very long wait for this thing that finally happened).

  • 你 终于 决定 了！Nǐ zhōngyú juédìng le!You finally decided!
  • 终于 要 放假 了，开心 吧？Zhōngyú yào fàngjià le, kāixīn ba?You're finally going on vacation. You're happy about it, aren't you?
  • 你们 合作 的 项目 终于 成功 了!Nǐmen hézuò de xiàngmù zhōngyú chénggōng le!This project you've been working on together has finally succeeded!

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries

Websites

HSK5
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