5 · Expressions (level 5)
In short: zǒngzhī, huànjùhuàshuō
summing up and rephrasing
Zǒngzhī sums up what came before; huànjùhuàshuō says it again in other words.
总之 closes a list or an argument by saying what it all comes to: 房子太小，离公司又远，总之不合适, “too small and too far — in short, it won’t do”. After an account that is uncertain or messy, it means “anyway, whatever the details”: the speaker cuts through to the point that matters.
总而言之, literally “summing up and saying it”, does the same with more weight. It belongs to speeches, reports and essays, and in conversation it can sound a little grand. 总的来说, “on the whole, all in all”, is the comfortable middle register.
换句话说, “to put it another way”, and 也就是说, “that is to say”, restate what has just been said in plainer or sharper terms — often to draw out a consequence the listener might have missed: 换句话说，你不同意, “in other words, you don’t agree”.
All of them open their clause and are followed by a comma. One thing they cannot do is the English “anyway” that changes the subject. 总之 always looks back over what has been said; to move on to something new, Chinese says 对了, “oh, by the way”.
The form
| in short | 总之，这次旅行很愉快。 |
| to sum up (formal) | 总而言之，我们需要更多的时间。 |
| on the whole | 总的来说，效果不错。 |
| in other words | 换句话说，你不同意。 |
| that is to say | 也就是说，我们得从头再来。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
总之 closes a list or an argument by saying what it comes to.
房子太小，离公司又远，总之不合适。The flat is too small and far from the office as well — in short, it won’t do.
After an uncertain account, 总之 means “anyway, whatever the details”.
具体原因我也不知道，总之会议取消了。I don’t know the exact reason either; anyway, the meeting has been cancelled.
总而言之 does the same with more weight, in speeches and writing.
总而言之，健康比什么都重要。All in all, health matters more than anything.
换句话说 and 也就是说 say the same thing again in plainer or sharper words.
他下个月退休，换句话说，这是他最后一个项目。He retires next month; in other words, this is his last project.
A closer look
A ladder of summing up
From casual to formal: 反正 shrugs (“whatever — anyway”), 总之 concludes, 总的来说 weighs things up, 总而言之 pronounces, and the written 综上所述, “to summarise the above”, closes a report or an essay. Choosing the right step is part of sounding natural.
For rephrasing, 也就是说 is the most common in speech and often draws a simple consequence. 换句话说 is a little more deliberate and suits explanations, when the speaker has noticed that the first wording did not land.
How to spot it
- 总之，
- 总而言之，
- 总的来说，
- 换句话说，
- 也就是说，
Example sentences
吃得好，睡得好，多运动，总之，要照顾好自己。Eat well, sleep well, get some exercise — in short, look after yourself.
不管你怎么想，总之我已经决定了。Whatever you think, I’ve made up my mind anyway.
总而言之，这个方案还需要修改。All in all, this plan still needs revising.
这份工作不需要经验，换句话说，谁都可以申请。This job needs no experience; in other words, anyone can apply.
商店只开到周五，也就是说，周末不营业。The shop is only open until Friday; that is to say, it is closed at weekends.
他从来不表态，换句话说，他谁也不想得罪。He never takes a position; in other words, he doesn’t want to offend anyone.
6 more example sentences
有人说好，有人说不好，总之你自己去看看吧。Some say it’s good, some say it isn’t — anyway, go and see for yourself.
总的来说，这次考试比上次容易。On the whole, this exam was easier than the last one.
他的意思是现在不行，换句话说，以后也许可以。What he means is “not now” — in other words, maybe later.
我迟到了，手机也没电了，总之今天什么都不顺。I was late and my phone died — in short, nothing went right today.
票已经卖完了，也就是说，我们只能改天再来了。The tickets have sold out — that is, we’ll have to come another day.
总而言之，学语言没有捷径。All in all, there is no shortcut to learning a language.
Worth knowing (1)
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Zǒngzhī yí jù huà: in a word
总之一句话, “in short, one sentence”, announces that everything is about to be boiled down to a single point. A colon usually follows.
总之一句话：别放弃。In a word: don’t give up.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English “anyway” both sums up and changes the subject, so learners use 总之 for both. It can only sum up: it looks back over what has been said and draws a conclusion from it. To turn to something new, say 对了 or 顺便问一下.
Zǒngzhī sums up what came before; huànjùhuàshuō says it again in other words.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.