Dictionary › 总是

总是

zǒng shì

Old HSK 3 HSK 3.0 level 3 2-character word Traditional 總是

总是 (zǒng shì) means "always". It is an HSK 3.0 level 3 word, and was HSK 3 in the old six-level list.

What 总是 means

1. always

How 总是 is used in grammar

总是 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Frequency Adverbs: 通常, 往往, 总是 (HSK 3)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 3, adverbs (频率副词).

The characters in 总是

• 总zǒng(bound form) general; overall; to sum up; in every case; always; invariably
• 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true…

Example sentences

• 他总是要钱。
  Tā zǒngshì yàoqián.
  He is always asking for money.
• 他总是在线。
  Tā zǒngshì zàixiàn.
  He is always online.
• 总是在下雨。
  It is raining all the time.
• 他总是在笑。
  He is always laughing.
• 你总是迟到。
  You are always late.
• 我总是饿了。
  I'm always hungry.

Where 总是 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Connectors, Conjunctions & Key Adverbs (HSK 3), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 3 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read zǒng shì correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.