综合

• Pinyin: zōng hé
• Hanzi breakdown: 综 = 糸 (silk/thread) + 宗 (ancestor/main, phonetic), to gather threads; 合 = 亼 (to come together) + 口 (mouth), to combine

Meaning

To synthesise; to integrate; comprehensive. Refers to combining multiple elements into a whole.

Used as a verb (综合各方意见 'synthesise opinions from all sides') or as a modifier (综合能力 'comprehensive ability'). Common in academic, administrative, and analytical contexts. 综合性 describes something of a comprehensive nature, e.g. 综合性大学 (comprehensive university). The opposite of 综合 as synthesis is 分析 (analysis).

Examples

1. 老师综合了同学们的意见，对课程安排做出了调整。 The teacher synthesised the students' opinions and adjusted the course schedule accordingly.
2. 这家医院是一所综合性医院，可以治疗多种疾病。 This hospital is a general hospital capable of treating a wide range of diseases.
3. 报告综合了来自不同地区的调查数据，结果更加可靠。 The report integrated survey data from different regions, making the results more reliable.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, workplace, research

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 综合来看，这个方案是最可行的。(Taking everything into consideration, this plan is the most feasible.)
• 我们需要综合分析多方面的因素。(We need to comprehensively analyse factors from multiple angles.)

Don't Say

• 用'综合'替代'总结' (Don't use 综合 when you mean 总结 — 综合 implies synthesising multiple things into one, while 总结 means summing up or concluding)

Origin & History

Compound of 综 (to gather threads together, from 糸 silk radical) and 合 (to combine, to close). The character 综 originally referred to gathering warp threads on a loom, metaphorically extended to mean 'bringing together'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal