总体 zǒngtǐ completely
completely; totally; total; entire; overall; population (statistics)
How to remember 总体: 总 always + 体 body = completely.
Characters
How it is used
- Overall, the whole taken together - 总体来说 (zǒngtǐ lái shuō) generally speaking; 总体规划 (overall plan).
- Adverbially/attributively frames a big-picture assessment vs the parts. Near 整体 (zhěngtǐ, the whole as one entity) - 总体 leans toward 'on the whole / in aggregate', 整体 toward 'as a single unified body'.
- Common opener 总体上 (zǒngtǐ shàng) on the whole.
Example sentences
- 总体上说，日本的气候温和。 Zǒngtǐ shàng shuō, rìběn de qìhòu wēnhé.Generally speaking, the climate of Japan is mild.
- 总体上说，日本人很保守。 Zǒngtǐ shàng shuō, rìběn rén hěn bǎoshǒu.On the whole, the Japanese are conservative.