一共

• Pinyin: yī gòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = single stroke meaning 'one'; 共 = pictograph of two hands together, meaning 'together/shared'

Meaning

Altogether; in total; in all. Used to express the sum or total of something.

Placed before the verb or number to indicate a total count or sum. Very common in shopping, counting, and summarizing contexts. Similar to 总共 but more colloquial and widely used in daily speech.

Examples

1. 我们一共有五个人。 There are five of us in total.
2. 这些东西一共多少钱？ How much is all of this altogether?
3. 他一共去过三次北京。 He has been to Beijing three times in total.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, shopping, counting

Tone: informational

Do Say

• 一共三百块，谢谢。(Three hundred yuan in total, thank you.)
• 你一共买了几本书？(How many books did you buy in total?)

Don't Say

• 我一共去了北京很多次。(Don't use 一共 with vague amounts like 很多 — 一共 expects a specific number.)

Origin & History

Compound of 一 (one/all) and 共 (together/in total), literally 'all together.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal