Kilo Lingo

(zǒng huì) - will always (in the end), is bound to, sooner or later in Mandarin

zǒnghuì

Traditional: 總會

#2922 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

will always (in the end), is bound to, sooner or later

Word origin

A compound of 总 (zǒng, always, general) and 会 (huì, will, be able to), giving the sense of something that will happen without fail.

Origin
compound
Root
总 (zǒng, always) + 会 (huì, will)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 总

Stroke order for 会

Examples

Do not worry, things are bound to get better.

He always rings at about this time.

You will understand in the end why I did this.

People who work hard are bound to get a chance sooner or later.

Time will always give us the answer.

总会 (zǒng huì) is the pairing of 总 "always" with the future auxiliary 会 "will". Together they say that something is bound to happen, whether or not you can see it yet. 事情总会好起来的 is the standard reassurance: things will come right in the end.

It carries a note of patience that neither word has on its own. 会好 is a plain prediction; 总会好 says the outcome is inevitable and you simply have to wait for it. The sentence very often closes with 的, which softens the claim into a settled expectation rather than a forecast.

The trap for English speakers is reaching for "always" and stopping there. 他总会来 does not mean he habitually turns up, it means he will turn up eventually. For the habit you want 总是: 他总是来晚 is he is always late. Get the two mixed and you promise a routine when you meant to promise an outcome.

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Mandarin · Free printables

总会: worksheet, infographic and listicle

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This word is part of lesson 59.