# HSK 7-9 Fixed Phrase 总的来说: Meaning, Usage & Contrasts | HSKReady

Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-discourse-markers-g063
Language: en
Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g063
HSK levels: 7-9
Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:33.779Z
Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app.

Learn how 总的来说 introduces an overall assessment in Chinese, with sentence placement, mixed-detail examples and useful summary-word contrasts.

Grammar

[HSK 7-9 · Phrases › Fixed phrases › Discourse markers](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g063)

# HSK 7-9 Discourse Marker 总的来说: Giving an Overall Assessment

总的来说 means “overall/on the whole”. It frames a broad assessment rather than each individual detail. Mixed advantages and disadvantages make a common use, but the phrase does not require counterexamples, guarantee fairness or determine whether the conclusion is positive.

prior details or pros and cons 总的来说， overall evaluative clause

Example sentence

这次社区环保活动虽然筹备时间很紧，中途还遇到了暴雨，但总的来说，居民的参与度远远超出了预期。

zhè cì shèqū huánbǎo huódòng suīrán chóubèi shíjiān hěn jǐn, zhōngtú hái yùdào le bàoyǔ, dàn zǒngdeláishuō, jūmín de cānyùdù yuǎnyuǎn chāochū le yùqī.

Although preparation time for this community environmental campaign was very tight and it even ran into a rainstorm midway through, on the whole, resident participation far exceeded expectations.

Shows 总的来说 following a concessive 虽然……但…… frame to weigh practical setbacks against overall success.

**Read the full explanation and examples**

## What 总的来说 Actually Signals in Discourse

In the HSK 7-9 syllabus, 总的来说 is listed under fixed phrases as a discourse marker. Rather than acting as a productive grammatical rule, it is a lexicalized chunk composed of 总 (overall/general), the attributive particle 的, and 来说 (speaking from the perspective of). Literally meaning speaking from the overall perspective, it corresponds closely to English expressions such as overall, on the whole, all in all, or broadly speaking.

The key is an overall view. You may weigh successes against setbacks, or summarize a consistently good or bad picture without mentioning exceptions. For example, 总的来说，这次活动很成功 does not require a preceding criticism. It presents the speaker’s broad judgment, which may still be disputed.

Use it when you intend an overall assessment. Mixed details are a useful practice context, but simply closing a paragraph is not enough unless the following statement really gives that overall view.

## Sentence Placement and Discourse Patterns

Because 总的来说 is a fixed expression, you do not insert modifiers inside it. However, its position within a sentence or across clauses is flexible in two reliable ways. Most commonly, it appears at the beginning of a concluding clause, often preceded by a contrastive conjunction such as 但 (but) or 不过 (however), followed by a comma.

prior details or pros and cons 总的来说， overall evaluative clause

这次社区环保活动虽然筹备时间很紧，中途还遇到了暴雨，但总的来说，居民的参与度远远超出了预期。

zhè cì shèqū huánbǎo huódòng suīrán chóubèi shíjiān hěn jǐn, zhōngtú hái yùdào le bàoyǔ, dàn zǒngdeláishuō, jūmín de cānyùdù yuǎnyuǎn chāochū le yùqī.

Although preparation time for this community environmental campaign was very tight and it even ran into a rainstorm midway through, on the whole, resident participation far exceeded expectations.

Shows 总的来说 following a concessive 虽然……但…… frame to weigh practical setbacks against overall success.

这部学术专著的译本有个别术语翻译得不够统一，不过总的来说，它依然很好地还原了原著的逻辑框架。

zhè bù xuéshù zhuānzhù de yìběn yǒu gèbié shùyǔ fānyì de bùgòu tǒngyī, bùguò zǒngdeláishuō, tā yīrán hěn hǎo de huányuán le yuánzhù de luójí kuàngjià.

The translated edition of this academic monograph has a few individual terms that are not rendered consistently enough, but overall, it still faithfully reconstructs the logical framework of the original work.

Illustrates a critical review context where minor flaws are acknowledged before affirming the macro-level quality.

Alternatively, 总的来说 can be placed immediately after the topic or subject of the evaluative clause, directly before the predicate (such as 是, 还是, or an evaluative verb phrase). In this position, no comma is needed, and the marker tightly scopes over the predicate that delivers the verdict.

topic or subject 总的来说 overall evaluative clause

过去五年里，该地区的传统制造业经历了不少波动，但新兴产业增长迅速，经济态势总的来说是稳中有升的。

guòqù wǔ nián lǐ, gāi dìqū de chuántǒng zhìzàoyè jīnglì le bùshǎo bōdòng, dàn xīnxīng chǎnyè zēngzhǎng xùnsù, jīngjì tàishì zǒngdeláishuō shì wěnzhōngyǒushēng de.

Over the past five years, traditional manufacturing in the region has experienced quite a few fluctuations, but emerging industries have grown rapidly, and the economic trend on the whole is steady with upward momentum.

Demonstrates placing 总的来说 immediately after the topic noun phrase (经济态势) and before the evaluative predicate.

## Register and Natural Communicative Situations

总的来说 is natural in conversation as well as writing, including interviews, project reviews and analytical summaries. A reflective tone may suit it, but it need not concern competing evidence.

- Personal reflections: Weighing initial difficulties against long-term personal growth.

- Professional evaluations: Assessing a project, trial policy, or market trend where results are mixed but lean in a clear direction.

- Critical reviews: Pointing out minor technical defects in a work before affirming its overall value.

刚去国外留学的那半年，我在饮食和语言上确实有些不适应，但总的来说，那段经历极大地锻炼了我的独立能力。

gāng qù guówài liúxué de nà bàn nián, wǒ zài yǐnshí hé yǔyán shàng quèshí yǒuxiē bù shìyìng, dàn zǒngdeláishuō, nà duàn jīnglì jídà de duànliàn le wǒ de dúlì nénglì.

During the first half year of studying abroad, I did have some trouble adjusting to the food and language, but all in all, that experience greatly strengthened my independence.

Highlights natural spoken and reflective usage when summarizing a personal period of life.

这项新规在试行阶段收到了不同群体的反馈，支持与质疑并存；总的来说，政策的出发点得到了肯定，但配套措施仍需完善。

zhè xiàng xīn guī zài shìxíng jiēduàn shōudào le bùtóng qúntǐ de fǎnkuì, zhīchí yǔ zhìyí bìngcún; zǒngdeláishuō, zhèngcè de chūfādiǎn dédào le kěndìng, dàn pèitào cuòshī réng xū wánshàn.

During its trial phase, this new regulation received feedback from different groups, with support and doubts coexisting; broadly speaking, the policy's intent has been affirmed, though supporting measures still need refinement.

Shows how 总的来说 can introduce a nuanced, two-part balanced verdict after mixed feedback.

## How 总的来说 Differs from Other Summary Markers

Advanced learners frequently treat all summarizing discourse markers as interchangeable equivalents of in conclusion. To use 总的来说 accurately, you should distinguish its evaluative, big-picture perspective from markers that perform formal synthesis or brief restatement.

- 总的来说 foregrounds the overall assessment; 综上所述 explicitly refers to gathering up earlier discussion and usually sounds more formal. Their uses overlap. Neither expression guarantees an objectively valid conclusion.

- 总的来说 can summarize a general view, while 总之 often presents a compact takeaway. A short overall assessment may do both jobs, so choose by context and tone rather than treating them as mutually exclusive categories.

- It fits 虽然……但…… well when exceptions are relevant, but a concession is optional. Other summary markers can also occur with concessive reasoning; the presence of 虽然 is not a test selecting this phrase alone.

When choosing whether 总的来说 fits your sentence, ask yourself whether you are stepping back to judge the overall quality or trend of something despite minor variations. If the answer is yes, 总的来说 is the exact marker you need.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do I always need a comma after 总的来说?**

When 总的来说 stands at the beginning of a clause (or right after a conjunction like 但 or 不过), it is normally followed by a comma in writing and a slight pause in speech. When it is placed directly between a subject/topic and the verb phrase (such as 情况总的来说还不错), no comma is used.

**Can 总的来说 introduce a negative overall assessment?**

Yes. It can introduce a positive, neutral or negative overall assessment. You do not have to mention a few good points before giving a negative verdict, or a flaw before giving a positive one.

**Is 总的来说 too informal for HSK 7-9 essay writing?**

Not at all. It is standard in analytical writing, commentary, and summaries whenever you need to express a balanced evaluation. It simply avoids the overly stiff bureaucratic tone of classical document-closing formulas.

**Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 405](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=405)

## Continue in the app

Full mock exams are available in HSKReady.

[![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en)

[HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)