In short: 总之
Closes a run of particulars with the conclusion they add up to. It needs something before it to sum up, and it introduces the summary, not another point.
Structure
细节一，细节二，（细节三），总之，+ 结论
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
，，，， “It’s close to the office, the rent is reasonable and there’s a supermarket nearby — in short, living here is convenient.” gathers the details already given and states what they come to. It is a closing word: it presupposes a list, and what follows it is the conclusion, not one more item.
has a second, dismissive use that is just as common. After a set of alternatives or excuses, it says that the details do not matter and only the bottom line does: ，，， “Take the metro or a taxi — either way, you must be there before eight.” ，， “Sometimes he says he’s busy, sometimes tired — the long and short of it is he doesn’t want to go.” In this use it overlaps with and .
opens its clause and is usually followed by a comma. is the fuller, more formal form, and is used for a general verdict at the end of an assessment. All three are standard ways to close a paragraph in HSK 5 writing.
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
这儿离公司近，房租也不贵，附近还有超市，总之，住在这儿很方便。這兒離公司近，房租也不貴，附近還有超市，總之，住在這兒很方便。
Zhèr (fourth tone, falling) lí (second tone, rising) gōngsī (first tone, high and level) jìn, (fourth tone, falling) fángzū (second tone, rising) yě (third tone, dipping) bú (second tone, rising) guì, (fourth tone, falling) fùjìn (fourth tone, falling) hái (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) chāoshì, (first tone, high and level) zǒngzhī, (third tone, dipping) zhù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) zhèr (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) fāngbiàn. (first tone, high and level)···
It’s close to the office, the rent isn’t high and there’s a supermarket nearby — in short, living here is convenient.
你可以坐地铁，也可以打车，总之，八点以前一定要到。你可以坐地鐵，也可以打車，總之，八點以前一定要到。
Nǐ (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) dìtiě, (fourth tone, falling) yě (third tone, dipping) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) dǎchē, (third tone, dipping) zǒngzhī, (third tone, dipping) bā (first tone, high and level) diǎn (third tone, dipping) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) yídìng (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) dào. (fourth tone, falling)···
You can take the metro or a taxi — either way, you must be there before eight.
他有时候说忙，有时候说累，总之就是不想去。他有時候說忙，有時候說累，總之就是不想去。
Tā (first tone, high and level) yǒu (third tone, dipping) shíhou (second tone, rising) shuō (first tone, high and level) máng, (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) shíhou (second tone, rising) shuō (first tone, high and level) lèi, (fourth tone, falling) zǒngzhī (third tone, dipping) jiùshì (fourth tone, falling) bù (fourth tone, falling) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) qù. (fourth tone, falling)···
Sometimes he says he’s busy, sometimes that he’s tired — in short, he just doesn’t want to go.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 总之，这个房子很方便。
Correct
Correct sentence: 这儿离公司近，房租也不贵，总之，这个房子很方便。
Why: 总之 sums up what has been said. With nothing before it, there is nothing to sum up.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 这儿离公司近，总之房租也不贵。
Correct
Correct sentence: 这儿离公司近，房租也不贵，总之很方便。
Why: 总之 introduces the conclusion, not another reason. A further point takes 而且 or 还.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 这儿离公司近，房租也不贵，所以总之很方便。
Correct
Correct sentence: 这儿离公司近，房租也不贵，总之很方便。
Why: 所以 and 总之 both open the conclusion; use one. 总之 fits a list of particulars, 所以 a single cause.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
In its dismissive use, 总之 does the same work as 不管…都…, but after the fact. 不管坐地铁还是打车，你都要八点以前到 announces in advance that the options do not matter. 你可以坐地铁，也可以打车，总之，八点以前一定要到 lists the options first and then waves them aside. Use 不管 when the sentence begins with the open range; use 总之 when the details have already been given.
Whatever the case: 无论／不管…都… →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Fill the gap: 天气好也好，不好也好，___ 我们明天一定出发。