HSK 5 · VERSION 2.0#7
Advanced Uses of “zǒng”
总
How it works
At HSK5 level, 总 (zǒng) can express not only frequency, but also the speaker’s sense that something keeps happening repeatedly or inevitably.
It often means:
always
continually
repeatedly
every time in a noticeable way
The pattern
Subject + 总 (zǒng) + Verb / Adjective
Example sentences
他最近总忘东西，不知道是不是太累了。
Recently he keeps forgetting things. I don’t know whether he is too tired.
每次一到关键时候，他总会紧张。
Every time it comes to a critical moment, he always gets nervous.
我觉得这件事总有点儿不对劲。
I feel that something about this matter just seems wrong.
Key point
Advanced 总 (zǒng) is often subjective. It may reflect the speaker’s impression that a pattern keeps appearing.