总之(zǒngzhī)
In Short / In A Word
Structure Pattern
Explanation
总之 (zǒngzhī) means "in short," "in a word," or "all in all." It summarizes a preceding discussion or argument into a concise conclusion. Often placed at the start of the final sentence.
Example Sentences
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Zǒngzhī, xué Zhōngwén xūyào nàixīn.
In short, learning Chinese requires patience.
Tā yòu cōngmíng yòu nǔlì, zǒngzhī shì ge hǎo xuéshēng.
He's smart and hardworking — all in all, a good student.
Suīrán yǒu xiē kùnnán, dàn zǒngzhī wǒmen chénggōng le.
Although there were some difficulties, in the end we succeeded.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
总之，你好吗？
Correct Usage
你好吗？
总之 is for summarizing or concluding a discussion. It cannot start a simple greeting or question with no prior context to summarize.
Master 总之
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