全体

• Pinyin: quán tǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 全 = 入 (enter) + 王 (king); 体 = 亻(person) + 本 (root/origin)

Meaning

All members; the entire group; everyone. Refers to every person in a defined group.

A formal word used to address or refer to all members of a group, such as a class, company, or organization. Commonly appears in announcements and formal settings: 全体同学 (all students), 全体员工 (all staff), 全体起立 (everyone please stand).

Examples

1. 全体同学请到操场集合。 All students please gather on the playground.
2. 全体员工明天放假一天。 All employees have a day off tomorrow.
3. 老师希望全体学生都能通过考试。 The teacher hopes every student can pass the exam.

Usage Guide

Context: announcements, school, workplace

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 全体起立！(Everyone please stand!)
• 全体成员都同意了。(All members agreed.)

Don't Say

• 不要在日常对话中用全体来指朋友 (Don't use 全体 casually with friends — it sounds too formal; use 大家 or 所有人 in casual speech)

Origin & History

全 (quán, whole/entire) + 体 (tǐ, body/group). Together they mean the entire body of people — everyone in a group.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal