总是 zǒng shì
“always”
adverb, verbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 3Traditional 總是
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
总是 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 994: 总是 zǒngshì — Level 3; official annotation 3 (副). PDF page 104
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 总是
总是 means 'always' and is used to say something happens every time or is true all the time. It is an adverb placed after the subject and before the verb or adjective: 主语 + 总是 + verb/adjective. It often sounds like 'this keeps happening' and is stronger than 常常.
例句Example sentences
- 他总是早上六点起床。tā zǒng shì zǎo shàng liù diǎn qǐ chuáng.He always gets up at six in the morning.
- 妈妈总是让我多吃水果。mā ma zǒng shì ràng wǒ duō chī shuǐ guǒ.My mom always tells me to eat more fruit.
- 下雨天，路上总是有很多车。xià yǔ tiān, lù shang zǒng shì yǒu hěn duō chē.On rainy days, there are always many cars on the road.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他迟到总是。
✓他总是迟到。
总是 is an adverb and must come before the verb, not after it.
-
✗她很总是忙。
✓她总是很忙。
总是 goes before 很 + adjective, not after 很.