总是 (zǒng shì) — always in Mandarin
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#698 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
总是 is pronounced zǒng shì. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Tā zǒngshì chídào.
He is always late.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 总是 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 总是 mean?+
总是 (zǒng shì) means "always" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 总是?+
总是 is pronounced zǒng shì. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 4 (falling). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 总是 in Mandarin?+
总是 is the #698 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 总是 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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