Expressing "always" with "zongshi"

Revision as of 13:05, 20 August 2013 by ChenShishuang (talk | contribs)

总是 (zǒngshì)and 老是 (lǎoshì) have the same meaning. Both can be interchanged in the same sentence.


Structure with Verbs

"总是" is an adverb that is often translated to English as "always". It is placed before the verb that it modifies.

总是 + V.

Examples

  • 总是 迟到。He is always late.
  • 小 孩子 不能 总是 吃 肉 不 吃 蔬菜。Children cannot always eat meat and never eat vegetables.
  • 总是 忘记 这 个 词。I always forget this word.

Structure with Adjectives

When 总是 is used together with an adjective, you will need to add a modifier in the middle, such as "这么", "那么", "很", "特别" etc.

总是 + Modifier + Adj.

Examples

  • 你 回家 总是 这么 晚。When you come home your are this late.
  • 海南 总是 那么 热。Hainan is always that hot.
  • 总是 不 高兴。Don't always be be unhappy.
  • 总是 很 开心,真好!She is always excited, that's good!

Different emphasis about 总是

When the subject is put after 总是,the emphasis is on the subject itself while the emphasis is on the predicates it the subject is put before 总是。

总是+subject+verb.

subject+总是+verb.

Examples