Difference between revisions of "Advanced uses of "zong""

 
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
 
 
总 (zǒng) can often be simply translated as "[[always]]," but it has other advanced uses as well. It can express "no matter how long or under what circumstances, facts are facts." It can also express "no matter what."  It is often paired with other words to form set phrases such as 总会, 总归, 总得, 总要, 总能, etc. It can also be structured together with other unconditional compound phrases like [[无论]] and [[不管]]. You cannot place it directly after the verb.  
 
总 (zǒng) can often be simply translated as "[[always]]," but it has other advanced uses as well. It can express "no matter how long or under what circumstances, facts are facts." It can also express "no matter what."  It is often paired with other words to form set phrases such as 总会, 总归, 总得, 总要, 总能, etc. It can also be structured together with other unconditional compound phrases like [[无论]] and [[不管]]. You cannot place it directly after the verb.  
  
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== Used with Auxiliary Verb ==
  
== Used with Auxiliary Verb ==
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In this structure, 总, with its companion character (usually a modal/[[auxiliary verb]]), means "always will (fill in character/action here)" Once again, it gives the feeling of something very concrete and factual. As you'll see in the examples, below, however, the word "always" don't always work well in a natural translation to English.
  
In this structure, 总, with its companion character (usually a modal/[[auxiliary verb]]), means "always will (fill in character/action here)" Once again, it gives the feeling of something very concrete and factual. One of the examples below says "No matter what happens, people have to eat."
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=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
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总 + 会 / 得 / 要 / 能 + Verb Phrase (+ 吧)
总 + 会 / 得 / 要 / 能 + Verb
 
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*这里 是 他 家,他 <em>总 会</em> 回来 的。<span class="trans">This is his home. He will always come back.</span>
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*这里 是 他 家,他 <em>总 会</em> 回来 的。<span class="pinyin">Zhèlǐ shì tā jiā, tā <em>zǒng huì</em> huílái de.</span><span class="trans">This is his home. He will always come back.</span>
*咱们 <em>总 得</em> 想 个 办法 啊。<span class="trans">We always have to come up with something to do.</span>
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*咱们 <em>总 得</em> 想 个 办法 啊。<span class="pinyin">Zánmen <em>zǒng děi</em> xiǎng ge bànfǎ a.</span><span class="trans">We're going to have to come up with some kind of solution.</span>
*不管 发生 了 什么,人 <em>总 要</em> 吃饭 吧。<span class="trans">No matter what happens, people have to eat.</span>
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*不管 发生 了 什么,人 <em>总 要</em> 吃饭 吧。<span class="pinyin">Bùguǎn fāshēng le shénme, rén <em>zǒng yào</em> chīfàn ba.</span><span class="trans">No matter what happens, people still have to eat, right?</span>
*他 是 你 爸爸,你 <em>总 要</em> 礼貌 一点 吧。<span class="trans">He is your father, you should always a little more polite.</span>
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*他 是 你 爸爸,你 <em>总 要</em> 礼貌 一点 吧。<span class="pinyin">Tā shì nǐ bàba, nǐ <em>zǒng yào</em> lǐmào yīdiǎn ba.</span><span class="trans">He is your father, so you ought to be a little more polite.</span>
*你 拿 了 人家 的 钱,<em>总 得</em> 帮 人家 做 事 吧。<span class="trans">You took their money, so you're always going to have to help them do stuff.</span>
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*你 拿 了 人家 的 钱,<em>总 得</em> 帮 人家 做 事 吧。<span class="pinyin">Nǐ ná le rénjiā de qián, <em>zǒng děi</em> bāng rénjiā zuòshì ba.</span><span class="trans">You took their money, so you're going to have to help them with the work.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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== Used with 不 and 没 ==
 
== Used with 不 and 没 ==
  
When 总 is used together with a negating word (like 不 or 没), it often has a tone of speculation, judgement or suggestion. The sentence often ends with a 吧.
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When 总 is used together with a negating word (like 不 or 没), it often has a tone of speculation, judgment or suggestion. The sentence often ends with a 吧.
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 +
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
总 + 不 / 没 + Verb
 
总 + 不 / 没 + Verb
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*你们 之间 的 联系 这么 少,看 起来 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 像 是 一 家 人。<span class="trans">You talk to each other so little. It seems that you're barely family. </span>
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*你们 之间 的 联系 这么 少,看 起来 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 像 是 一 家 人。<span class="pinyin">Nǐmen zhī jiān de liánxì zhème shǎo, kàn qǐlái <em>zǒng</em> <strong>bù</strong> xiàng shì yī jiā rén.</span><span class="trans">You talk to each other so little. It seems that you're barely family. </span>
*他 这么 大 年纪 了,我们 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 能 让 他 一个人 去 吧?<span class="trans">He'e so old. We can't let him go there all alone. What do you think?</span>
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*他 这么 大 年纪 了,我们 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 能 让 他 一个人 去 吧?<span class="pinyin">Tā zhème dà niánjì le, wǒmen <em>zǒng</em> <strong>bù</strong> néng ràng tā yīgèrén qù ba?</span><span class="trans">He's so elderly. We can't just let him go there all alone, right?</span>
*这么 晚 了,<em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 会 出 了 什么事 吧?<span class="trans">It's getting late. Do you think something bad happened? </span>
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*这么 晚 了,<em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 会 出 了 什么事 吧?<span class="pinyin">Zhème wǎn le, <em>zǒng</em> <strong>bù</strong> huì chū le shénme shì ba?</span><span class="trans">It's getting late. Do you think something bad might have happened?</span>
*这 件 事 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 会 是 内部 的 人 做 的 吧?<span class="trans">Do you think this is an inside job? </span>
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*这 件 事 <em>总</em> <strong>不</strong> 会 是 内部 的 人 做 的 吧?<span class="pinyin">Zhè jiàn shì <em>zǒng</em> <strong>bù</strong> huì shì nèibù de rén zuò de ba?</span><span class="trans">This whole thing couldn't be an inside job, could it?</span>
*他 想 带 父母 去 旅行,可是 <em>总</em> <strong>没</strong> 时间。<span class="trans">He wants to take her parents to travel, but he's always not able to find time.</span>
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*他 想 带 父母 去 旅行,可是 <em>总</em> <strong>没</strong> 时间。<span class="pinyin">Tā xiǎng dài fùmǔ qù lǚxíng, kěshì <em>zǒng</em> <strong>méi</strong> shíjiān.</span><span class="trans">He wants to take his parents traveling, but he's never able to find time.</span>
  
 
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
*[[现代汉语八百词(增订本)]] (总归p. 698) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
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{{Source|现代汉语八百词(增订本)|698}}
 
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{{Source|现代汉语虚词例释|663}}
*[[现代汉语虚词例释]](总 p.663)[http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B004323J90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
  
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B2 grammar points]]
{{Basic Grammar|总|B2|总 + Media + Verb|咱们 <em>总</em> 得 想 个 办法 啊。<em>总</em> 不 能 让 他 一个人 去 吧?|grammar point|ASG8QS6H}}
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{{Basic Grammar|总|B2|总 + Verb Phrase|咱们 <em>总</em> 得 想 个 办法 啊。<em>总</em> 不 能 让 他 一个人 去 吧?|grammar point|ASG8QS6H}}
 
{{Rel char|总归}}
 
{{Rel char|总归}}
 
{{Rel char|总得}}
 
{{Rel char|总得}}
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{{Used for|Describing things}}
 
{{Used for|Describing things}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
 
{{POS|Adverbs}}
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{{HSK|HSK5}}

Latest revision as of 03:00, 27 January 2022

Chinese-grammar-wiki-zong.jpg

总 (zǒng) can often be simply translated as "always," but it has other advanced uses as well. It can express "no matter how long or under what circumstances, facts are facts." It can also express "no matter what." It is often paired with other words to form set phrases such as 总会, 总归, 总得, 总要, 总能, etc. It can also be structured together with other unconditional compound phrases like 无论 and 不管. You cannot place it directly after the verb.

Used with Auxiliary Verb

In this structure, 总, with its companion character (usually a modal/auxiliary verb), means "always will (fill in character/action here)" Once again, it gives the feeling of something very concrete and factual. As you'll see in the examples, below, however, the word "always" don't always work well in a natural translation to English.

Structure

总 + 会 / 得 / 要 / 能 + Verb Phrase (+ 吧)

Examples

  • 这里 是 他 家,他 总 会 回来 的。Zhèlǐ shì tā jiā, tā zǒng huì huílái de.This is his home. He will always come back.
  • 咱们 总 得 想 个 办法 啊。Zánmen zǒng děi xiǎng ge bànfǎ a.We're going to have to come up with some kind of solution.
  • 不管 发生 了 什么,人 总 要 吃饭 吧。Bùguǎn fāshēng le shénme, rén zǒng yào chīfàn ba.No matter what happens, people still have to eat, right?
  • 他 是 你 爸爸,你 总 要 礼貌 一点 吧。Tā shì nǐ bàba, nǐ zǒng yào lǐmào yīdiǎn ba.He is your father, so you ought to be a little more polite.
  • 你 拿 了 人家 的 钱,总 得 帮 人家 做 事 吧。Nǐ ná le rénjiā de qián, zǒng děi bāng rénjiā zuòshì ba.You took their money, so you're going to have to help them with the work.

Used with 不 and 没

When 总 is used together with a negating word (like 不 or 没), it often has a tone of speculation, judgment or suggestion. The sentence often ends with a 吧.

Structure

总 + 不 / 没 + Verb

Examples

  • 你们 之间 的 联系 这么 少,看 起来 像 是 一 家 人。Nǐmen zhī jiān de liánxì zhème shǎo, kàn qǐlái zǒng xiàng shì yī jiā rén.You talk to each other so little. It seems that you're barely family.
  • 他 这么 大 年纪 了,我们 能 让 他 一个人 去 吧?Tā zhème dà niánjì le, wǒmen zǒng néng ràng tā yīgèrén qù ba?He's so elderly. We can't just let him go there all alone, right?
  • 这么 晚 了, 会 出 了 什么事 吧?Zhème wǎn le, zǒng huì chū le shénme shì ba?It's getting late. Do you think something bad might have happened?
  • 这 件 事 会 是 内部 的 人 做 的 吧?Zhè jiàn shì zǒng huì shì nèibù de rén zuò de ba?This whole thing couldn't be an inside job, could it?
  • 他 想 带 父母 去 旅行,可是 时间。Tā xiǎng dài fùmǔ qù lǚxíng, kěshì zǒng méi shíjiān.He wants to take his parents traveling, but he's never able to find time.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books