总

always, surely; must, sooner or later, chief, overall

adverb Common #1,484
always Placed before a verb, 总 describes something that happens repeatedly or as a habit.
CH: 为什么你总爱争论?
EN: Why do you always like to argue?

他不是总来晚。

He isn’t always late.

总保持领先

Always stay ahead

— 这个杀手不太冷 (1994)

我怎么总跟神经病混在一起?

Why do I always end up hanging out with crazies?

— 蝙蝠 (2009)

笨作家们总爱胡思乱想

Silly writers are always letting their imaginations run wild.

— 红磨坊 (2001)

同一个社区的小孩都没有补助金而我们家却有那个人怕被我知道总是一脸担心的表情…

None of the kids in the same community receive a subsidy, but our family does. That person always looks worried, afraid that I’ll find out…

— 记忆中的玛妮 (2014)

我每时每刻总意识到美丽风趣与智慧还有所有那些东西对一个女人来说都很重要

I'm always aware that beauty, wit, intelligence, and all those things are important to a woman.

— 蝴蝶梦 (1940)

我们不能总麻烦纪子

We can't keep imposing on Noriko all the time.

— 东京物语 (1953)

你们总想着离开皇宫现在你们可以走了

You’ve always wanted to leave the palace. Now you can go.

— 末代皇帝 (1987)

大叔我警告你哦不要总缠着我女儿

Mister, I'm warning you—stop pestering my daughter.

— 孤胆特工 (2010)

说谎总是一种罪吗?

Is lying always a sin?

他总希望有几个儿子

He always hoped to have several sons.

— 亚特兰蒂斯:失落的帝国 (2001)

为什么她总叫我"阿姨"?

Why does she always call me “Auntie”?

— 调音师 (2018)

我总有办法写作

I can always find a way to write.

— 坠落的审判 (2023)

你总看他们干吗?

Why do you keep looking at them?

— 后来的我们 (2018)

你怎么总用望远镜

Why do you always use a telescope?

— 月升王国 (2012)

我妈也总那么说

My mom always says that too.

— Hi, Mom (2021)

你总跟我说我很“漂亮”,但你从来不跟我谈我的角色。

You always tell me I’m “beautiful,” but you never talk to me about my roles.

— 八部半 (1963)

你总惯着她,她反而不会珍惜

You always indulge her, so she’ll only take you for granted.

— 浪潮 (2008)

他总能赢

He always manages to win.

— 怒火青春 (1995)

那个晚上总给你打电话的女孩是谁?

Who was that girl who kept calling you that night?

— 空房间 (2004)

你最好别总去想她。

You'd better stop thinking about her all the time.

他们总起得太晚

They always get up too late.

— 从海底出击 (1981)

优秀的士兵总能找到食物的

A good soldier can always find food.

— 帝国的毁灭 (2004)

你干嘛总跟我在一起

Why are you always hanging around with me?

— 绝美之城 (2013)

我总感觉到我的生命在同一时间存在于两个地方这儿和另外一个地方这很难解释

I always feel like my life exists in two places at the same time—here and somewhere else. It’s hard to explain.

— 两生花 (1991)

不过她不想总想着死亡.

But she doesn't want to keep thinking about death.

— 你妈妈也一样 (2001)

我总看见他们在码头上忙个不停。

I always see them bustling around on the dock.

他的分数总比我高,尽管他学习得少一点。

His scores are always higher than mine, even though he studies a little less.

你总第一个到教室那为什么你爸妈还把你送这来

You’re always the first to get to class, so why do your parents still drive you here?

— 地球上的星星 (2007)

上帝又管闲事了,总这样

God is meddling again, as usual.

— 镜子 (1975)

总有办法

There’s always a way.

— 老男孩 (2003)

孩子们总和它们玩儿

The children always play with them.

— 罗马 (2018)

哎呀,好啦,总这么说的话

Oh, fine—if you keep putting it that way.

— 密阳 (2007)

别总待在车上出来透透气,嗯?

Don’t stay in the car all the time—come out and get some fresh air, okay?

— 密阳 (2007)

我不饿,但我总想吃东西。

I'm not hungry, but I always feel like eating something.

你总跟我说这个

You always tell me that.

— 绝美之城 (2013)

听说没在走道就很幸运我已尽力,总找不到人谈

I heard that just not being in the hallway is already lucky. I’ve done my best, but I can never find anyone to talk to.

— 野蛮入侵 (2003)

你总想让梦幻成真

You always want to make your dreams come true.

— 朱诺 (2007)

为什么你总爱争论?

Why do you always like to argue?

— 烈日灼人 (1994)

我以前总认为汤姆是有一些与众不同的。

I always thought Tom was a little different.

干吗总跟着我?

Why do you keep following me?

— 密阳 (2007)

我只是感觉总一个人

I just feel alone all the time.

— 阿黛尔的生活 (2013)

我奶奶总来这买东西!

My grandma always comes here to shop!

— 怒火青春 (1995)

不知人们为何总爱小题大做

I don't know why people always make a mountain out of a molehill.

— 泰坦尼克号 (1997)

对我也总嫌我碍事

They’re always complaining that I’m in the way, too.

— 东京物语 (1953)

邦德以前总担心通信能不能做到不可破解;不,莫里斯,我们可不是靠计算机密码。

Bond used to worry about whether communications could be made unbreakable. No, Morris, we don’t rely on computer ciphers.

你怎么总怀疑错人

Why do you always suspect the wrong person?

— 分手的决心 (2022)

为何总是我?

Why is it always me?

— 蔷花,红莲 (2003)

总有机会的,拿去吧!

There will always be a chance. Go ahead, take it!

— 阿飞正传 (1990)

我无所谓,他们总在谈论我

I don't care; they're always talking about me.

— 浪潮 (2008)

我们不能总坐着讨论这些,

We can't just sit around discussing these things all the time.

— 芭萨提的颜色 (2006)

她总和她父母吵架。

She is always arguing with her parents.

你总提

You keep bringing it up.

— 绝境盟约 (2023)

人不能总藏在他的计算机后面

People can't always hide behind their computers.

— 我是谁:没有绝对安全的系统 (2014)

就是感觉对人都挺好的但是总受伤害后来就越来越不爱说话了

It just feels like they’re always kind to everyone, but they keep getting hurt, so they gradually become less and less talkative.

— 热辣滚烫 (2024)

罗马总有事发生

Something is always happening in Rome.

— 绝美之城 (2013)

他总不理我

He always ignores me.

— 烈日灼人 (1994)

可和他在一起我总有点儿害怕

I’m always a little afraid when I’m with him.

— 战争与和平 (1968)

你要跟那个总在一起的忧郁女孩出去约会

You’re going on a date with that gloomy girl who’s always with you.

— 绝美之城 (2013)

你这家伙,总喜欢惹麻烦!

You’re always getting yourself into trouble!

— 维多利亚 (2015)

她总让我感觉我身上很臭似的

She always makes me feel like I smell bad.

— 罗马 (2018)

他们总想让每个人都觉得自己很重要

They always want everyone to feel important.

— 潜水钟与蝴蝶 (2007)

你怎么总提这个约定

Why do you keep bringing up this agreement?

— 托尼·厄德曼 (2016)

嗯,我想到你总问我借我的那个,不过…谢谢

Yeah, I was thinking of the one you’re always asking to borrow from me, but… thanks.

— 托尼·厄德曼 (2016)

我不懂她干嘛总需要钱要那么多钱干什么

I don't understand why she always needs money—what does she need so much money for?

— 绝美之城 (2013)

"我就像只动物""孩子们总喜欢捉弄我"

I'm just like an animal. The kids are always teasing me.

— 黑色的风采 (2005)

有个家伙总嫌过去的姑娘不好

There’s a guy who’s always complaining that the girls he dated in the past weren’t any good.

— 追击者 (2008)

我们曾经总在星期六傍晚去看电影。

We used to go to the movies every Saturday evening.

我们不能总罩着你

We can't always protect you.

— 浪潮 (2008)

利昂…不会总这样的

Leon… it won’t always be like this.

— 这个杀手不太冷 (1994)

她总希望

She always hopes.

— 我的父亲母亲 (1999)

安生总想有一个家

Ansheng has always wanted a home of her own.

— SoulMate (2016)

我喜欢做理发师我很在行但我总希望你能试试别的你说过想做议员或外交官的

I like being a hairdresser, and I’m really good at it, but I’ve always hoped you’d try something else. You said you wanted to be a politician or a diplomat.

— 青春年少 (1998)

我总在撒谎

I’m always lying.

— 看不见的客人 (2017)

有时候总控制不好你能举个具体的例子吗?

Sometimes I just can’t control it well. Can you give me a specific example?

— 托尼·厄德曼 (2016)

我们总这么闹

We’re always like this.

— 热辣滚烫 (2024)

他总喝他的黑咖啡。

He always drinks his black coffee.

他的记忆力总让我吃惊。

His memory never ceases to amaze me.

adverb Uncommon #13,290
surely; must Expresses a confident expectation or assumption, often inviting confirmation.
CH: 她总知道在哪儿吧。
EN: She must know where it is, right?

那我总可以了吧

Then that should be okay, right?

— I Am What I Am (2021)

总不见得我也去英国

Surely I’m not expected to go to the UK too.

— 虎口脱险 (1966)

你总不会和我开这种玩笑

You wouldn't joke with me like that.

— 黄金三镖客 (1966)

总知道点什么的

You always know something.

— 智利说不 (2012)

她总知道在哪儿吧

She always knows where it is, right?

— 三峡好人 (2006)

总不能两个人都在这里等死嘛

We can't both just stay here and wait to die.

— 三峡好人 (2006)

做你的好朋友总可以了吧?

Surely I can at least be your good friend, right?

— 一一 (2000)

你总可以告诉我她有没有被领养吧

You can at least tell me whether she was adopted.

— 亲切的金子 (2005)

那你进去总有个理由吧?

Then you must have some reason for going in, right?

— 潜行者 (1979)

adverb Rare #17,434
sooner or later Used to say that something will happen eventually.
CH: 他总有一天会明白。
EN: He’ll understand sooner or later.

因为会很伤心总有一天我会受不了的

Because it will hurt so much, one day I won’t be able to take it anymore.

— 鬼童院 (2001)

两夫妻经常分开呢,总不大好

It’s not good for a married couple to be apart so often.

— 花样年华 (2000)

记得我说过总有一天你会后悔的吗?

Remember I told you that one day you’d regret it?

— 蔷花,红莲 (2003)

这段总会过去的

This difficult time will pass.

— 妈咪 (2014)

图书管理员们或许已经消失了,可他们总会回来的吧。

The librarians may have disappeared, but they’ll come back eventually, won’t they?

虽然如此,孩子们总还喜欢到她那里去。

Even so, the children still liked to go and see her.

adjective Rare #28,774
chief, overall Used before a title or role to indicate the person has overall responsibility or is in charge of the whole organization.
CH: 她是这家公司的总经理。
EN: She is the company’s general manager.
total, overall
CH: 这次考试的总成绩不错。
EN: The overall score on this exam was good.

我父亲是医院的总负责人

My father is the director of the hospital.

— 赫鲁斯塔廖夫,开车! (1999)

工厂的总工程师都来找我们

The factory’s chief engineer came to see us.

— 莫斯科不相信眼泪 (1980)

我是队伍的总负责人

I’m the overall leader of the team.

— 雨水危机 (2011)