总理

• Pinyin: zǒng lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 总 = 心 (heart) + 囱 (phonetic), overall; 理 = 王 (jade/king) + 里 (village), to manage or govern

Meaning

Premier; Prime Minister. The head of government in China and several other countries.

In China, 国务院总理 (Premier of the State Council) is the head of the executive branch of government, second only to the President in practical authority. In other countries, such as the UK or Japan, the equivalent title is rendered as 首相 or 总理 depending on the context. 李克强 and 温家宝 are well-known former Chinese premiers.

Examples

1. 总理在记者招待会上回答了媒体提出的多个问题。 The Premier answered several questions raised by the media at the press conference.
2. 两国总理签署了一份关于贸易合作的协议。 The premiers of the two countries signed an agreement on trade cooperation.
3. 总理强调，今年的经济发展目标一定要完成。 The Premier emphasised that this year's economic development targets must be met.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, government

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 总理今天出席了全国人民代表大会。(The Premier attended the National People's Congress today.)
• 两国总理就双边关系进行了深入交流。(The premiers of the two countries had an in-depth exchange on bilateral relations.)

Don't Say

• 把'总理'用来称呼企业或机构的负责人 (Don't use 总理 for the head of a company or institution — use 总裁, 院长, or 主任 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 总 (overall, general) and 理 (to manage, to govern). Literally 'the one who manages everything overall'. The term has been used in Chinese governance since the late Qing dynasty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal