总监

• Pinyin: zǒng jiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 总 = general/chief; 监 = 臣 (minister) + 皿 (dish), originally meaning to look down into a vessel, hence supervise

Meaning

Director; chief; supervisor at the executive level.

A senior management position overseeing a major department or function within an organization. Common titles include 财务总监 (CFO), 创意总监 (Creative Director), 技术总监 (CTO). Higher than manager but typically below VP level.

Examples

1. 她在三十岁之前就当上了市场总监，在公司里算是晋升最快的一个。 She became marketing director before thirty — the fastest-promoted person in the company.
2. 新任的人力资源总监正在推动公司的组织架构改革。 The newly appointed HR director is pushing organizational restructuring reforms.
3. 作为项目总监，他需要协调多个部门的资源来确保项目按时完成。 As project director, he needs to coordinate resources across multiple departments to ensure the project is completed on time.

Usage Guide

Context: business, corporate

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 我是这个部门的总监。(I'm the director of this department.)
• 请问总监在吗？(Is the director in?)

Don't Say

• 你是我家的总监。(Don't use 总监 for informal family roles)

Origin & History

Compound of 总 (general, chief) and 监 (to supervise, oversee). Together they denote a chief supervisor or overseer.

Cultural Context

Generation: Working professionals

Social background: Professional