完全

• Pinyin: wán quán
• Hanzi breakdown: 完 = 宀 (roof) + 元 (origin/first); 全 = 入 (enter) + 王 (king), meaning 'complete/whole'

Meaning

Completely; entirely; totally. Emphasizes that something is thorough or absolute.

Used as an adverb to stress that an action or state is total and without exception. Often paired with negatives for strong denial. More emphatic than 全 alone, and slightly more formal than 全部. Very common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

1. 我完全同意你的想法。 I completely agree with your idea.
2. 这两个东西完全不一样。 These two things are completely different.
3. 他完全忘了今天有考试。 He totally forgot there was an exam today.

Usage Guide

Context: emphasis, agreement, denial

Tone: emphatic

Do Say

• 我完全没听说过这件事。(I haven't heard about this at all.)
• 他说的完全正确。(What he said is completely correct.)

Don't Say

• 我完全有一点累。(Don't combine 完全 with hedging words like 有一点 — they contradict each other. Say 我有一点累 or 我完全累了.)

Origin & History

Compound of 完 (finished/complete) + 全 (whole/entire). Both characters share the idea of totality, creating a strong intensifier.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal