总 zǒng — always; to assemble; gather; total; overall; head
他总是第一个到教室。Tā zǒng shì dì yī ge dào jiào shì.He is always the first to arrive at the classroom.
Common words: 总是 (zǒng shì)、总结 (zǒng jié)、总统 (zǒng tǒng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "gather"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "gather", including 总 (zǒng), 聚 (jù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "gather" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 总 (zǒng), 聚 (jù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zǒng, jù — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 总 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 总 zǒngalways; to assemble; gather; total; overall; headUseful words: 总是, 总结
- 聚 jùform gathering; gatherUseful words: 聚会, 聚集
Common words for these 2 "gather" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 总 (zǒng) — so "gather" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "gather".
聚 jù — form gathering; gather
节日里，一家人欢聚在一起。Jié rì lǐ, yì jiā rén huān jù zài yì qǐ.During the holiday, the whole family gathers happily.
Common words: 聚会 (jù huì)、聚集 (jù jí)、凝聚 (níng jù)
All 2 characters
Open 总、聚 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.