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ChineseGrammarWiki


			
				
					
						
						
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<p>One pair of confusing <a href="adverb" title="wikilink">adverbs</a> is 总算 (zǒngsuàn) and 终于 (zhōngyú). They both can be translated as &quot;finally&quot; or &quot;in the end,&quot; but they subtly different in tone.</p>
<h2 id="they-have-the-same-grammatical-structure">They have the same grammatical structure</h2>
<p>Grammatically, 总算 and 终于 are basically used the same way. They are both adverbs, and they can be placed before the subject or after the subject. However, in comparison to 终于, 总算 is seldom used <em>before</em> the subject. But in these sentences given below, they can be replaced with each other.</p>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Subj. + 总算 / 终于 + Verb</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 <em>总算</em>来了！<span class="trans">You finally came!</span></li>
<li>我 <em>终于</em> 懂 了。<span class="trans">I finally understood it.</span></li>
<li>雨 <em>总算</em> 停 了。<span class="trans">The rain finally stopped.</span></li>
<li>我 <em>终于</em> 找到 你 了！<span class="trans">I finally found you!</span></li>
<li>飞机 <em>总算</em> 起飞 了！<span class="trans">The plane is finally taking off!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="总算-is-more-informal-and-impatient">总算 is more informal and impatient</h2>
<p>Both 总算 and 终于 express that an action has <em>finally</em> happened after a long wait, however 总算 implies that the speaker had a bit of an agonizing wait, and it has a heavier tone better suited to complaints.</p>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>谢天谢地，你 <em>总算</em> 来 了。<span class="trans">Thank God, you <em>finally</em> came.</span></li>
<li><em>总算</em> 没 迟到。<span class="trans">You <em>finally</em> didn't arrive late.</span></li>
<li>她 的 感冒 <em>总算</em> 好 了。<span class="trans">She <em>finally</em> got over her cold.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="终于-is-more-formal-and-objective">终于 is more formal and objective</h2>
<p>终于 is more formal than 总算 (in other words, 总算 is more for spoken Chinese), and it also has a more objective feel (meaning that there was indeed a long wait for this thing that <em>finally</em> happened).</p>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>你 <em>终于</em> 决定 了！<span class="trans">You finally decided this!</span></li>
<li><em>终于</em> 要 放假 了，开心 吧？<span class="trans">You finally have your holidays. You're happy about it, aren't you?</span></li>
<li>你们 合作 的 项目 <em>终于</em> 成功 了!<span class="trans">This project you've been working on together finally succeed!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="现代汉语八百词（增订本）" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语八百词（增订本）</a> (终于p. 687) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693275&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="现代汉语虚词例释" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语虚词例释</a> (终于p. 653)<a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B004323J90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693275&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="New_Practical_Chinese_Reader_4_(新实用汉语课本4)" title="wikilink">New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4)</a> (p. 18) <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7561913192/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=allset-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399369&amp;creativeASIN=7561913192">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="dictionaries">Dictionaries</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="现代汉语词典（第5版）" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语词典（第5版）</a> (总算1814 终于1767) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693609&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="websites">Websites</h3>
<ul>
<li>Chinesegrammar.info: <a href="http://chinesegrammar.info/vocabulary/zhong1yu2-zui4hou4-difference/">A blog with some information on 终于 by comparing it to 最后.</a></li>
</ul>
<p>   </p>
<p><a href="Category:grammar_comparison" title="wikilink">Category:grammar comparison</a></p>