总算 zǒngsuàn

总算（zǒngsuàn）means “'finally / at last' (after a long wait, with relief) — 总算”. 总算 is an adverb placed before the verb to say something has 'finally / at last' happened after a long or trying wait, carrying a clear sense of relief. Formation: 主语 + 总算 + 动词/形容词（经过等待，终于……）

'finally / at last' (after a long wait, with relief) — 总算

HSK5

Formation

主语 + 总算 + 动词/形容词（经过等待，终于……）

Explanation

总算 is an adverb placed before the verb to say something has 'finally / at last' happened after a long or trying wait, carrying a clear sense of relief. 他总算来了 means 'he's finally here (what a relief)'. Compared with 终于, 总算 more strongly conveys 'at long last, thankfully', often about a barely satisfactory or hard-won outcome; 终于 is more neutral and can be used for negative results too.

Examples

等了半天，公交车 总算 来了。
děng le bàntiān, gōngjiāochē zǒngsuàn lái le.
After waiting ages, the bus finally came.
试了很多次，我 总算 把密码记住了。
shì le hěn duō cì, wǒ zǒngsuàn bǎ mìmǎ jìzhù le.
After many tries, I finally memorized the password.

Note

总算 carries relief and usually a positive/hard-won result; 终于 is neutral (can also be used for negative outcomes). Read zǒngsuàn.

FAQ

总算 — what does it mean and how is it used?

'finally / at last' (after a long wait, with relief) — 总算. 总算 is an adverb placed before the verb to say something has 'finally / at last' happened after a long or trying wait, carrying a clear sense of relief. 他总算来了 means 'he's finally here (what a relief)'. Compared with 终于, 总算 more strongly conveys 'at long last, thankfully', often about a barely satisfactory or hard-won outcome; 终于 is more neutral and can be used for negative results too.

总算 — how do you form it?

主语 + 总算 + 动词/形容词（经过等待，终于……）

总算 — any usage notes?

总算 carries relief and usually a positive/hard-won result; 终于 is neutral (can also be used for negative outcomes). Read zǒngsuàn.

Learn in the app →