zǒng总
shì是
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

總是 (Traditional: 總是)

HSK 3

Dictionary

always

Examples

他早上总是喝一杯咖啡,然后去上班。

Tā zǎoshang zǒngshì hē yì bēi kāfēi, ránhòu qù shàngbān.

→ He always drinks a cup of coffee in the morning and then goes to work.

Did You Know?

Word Order

Word Formation

总 means 'always/total' and 是 means 'to be'.

Usage Tips

总是 must go before the verb it modifies, like 他总是迟到 (he is always late), not at the end of the sentence.