HSK 7
总的来说/总而言之
zǒng de lái shuō / zǒng ér yán zhī
总的来说 / 总而言之
Explanation
总的来说 (zǒng de lái shuō) and 总而言之 (zǒng ér yán zhī) are both transitional phrases meaning 'in summary, generally speaking', used to give an overall assessment after presenting details.
总的来说 / 总而言之 + (comma) + the general concluding clause; these two phrases usually stand at the head of the sentence as an adverbial (a component indicating manner) that introduces the summary part.
when needing to wrap up a matter and synthesize ideas after listing them; 总的来说 is natural in both speech and writing, whereas 总而言之 carries a written nuance (in books, speeches) and is somewhat more formal.
总的来说 (zǒng de lái shuō) leans toward 'generally, an overall evaluation', whereas 总而言之 (zǒng ér yán zhī) leans toward 'wrapping up into a conclusion'; 总而言之 can be accompanied by 一句话 (yí jù huà - in a word) to emphasize conciseness.
placing these two phrases in the middle or at the end of the sentence instead of at the head; and using them when nothing has yet been presented before to be summarized (making them redundant).
Examples
Generally speaking, his physical condition is fairly good.
Her professional ability is excellent, and her work attitude is, on the whole, very earnest; she is a very good collaborator.
In summary, what matters most should be the process, not the result.
In a word, I don't like him.
Practice
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Learn “总的来说/总而言之” effectively
The grammar point “总的来说/总而言之” (总的来说 / 总而言之) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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