How to use 总是
总是 + Verb
总是 describes something that happens consistently or repeatedly. Place it after the subject and before the action or predicate. It suits routines, recurring experiences, and repeated behavior. The speaker may simply describe a pattern, or may express annoyance or appreciation through the particular choice of words and tone.
When the predicate is descriptive, a degree word such as 很 or 特别 commonly appears before the adjective. Do not confuse repeated occasions with uninterrupted activity: 总是 highlights recurrence, whereas 一直 often highlights continuity over a period. As with English “always,” everyday uses can exaggerate a strong tendency, so the statement's precision depends on context rather than on the adverb alone.
Examples with pinyin and English
他总是迟到。
He is always late.
我总是忘记这个词。
I always forget this word.
他总是一个人吃饭。
He always eats alone.
你男朋友总是说脏话。
Your boyfriend always uses foul language.
What to remember
- Place 总是 before the recurring action.
- Descriptive predicates commonly include a degree word.
- Separate repeated behavior from continuous activity.
Practise the pattern
Practise this topic with the app’s grammar exercises. Your answers and review dates are saved separately from vocabulary practice.
Practise this grammar topic ↗Look up the grammar words
Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.