全长

• Pinyin: quán cháng
• Hanzi breakdown: 全 = 人 + 王 (complete — a person fully covered, hence whole); 长 = 长 (length — a long-haired elder, indicating extension)

Meaning

Total length; the full measurement from one end to the other; the complete extent of something.

Used in technical and descriptive contexts for roads, tunnels, rivers, pipelines, vehicles, and organisms. 全长约为 (with a total length of approximately). Purely factual and objective. Distinct from 全程 which emphasises the experiential journey rather than a static measurement.

Examples

1. 这条新建高铁线路全长约八百五十公里，设计时速三百五十公里。 The newly built high-speed rail line has a total length of about 850 kilometers, with a design speed of 350 km/h.
2. 该隧道全长十二公里，是目前亚洲穿越高原地带的最长公路隧道之一。 The tunnel is 12 kilometers long, making it one of the longest highway tunnels in Asia that cuts through a plateau region.
3. 成年蓝鲸的全长可达三十米，体重超过一百五十吨，是地球上现存最大的动物。 An adult blue whale can reach 30 meters in length and weigh over 150 tons, making it the largest living animal on Earth.

Usage Guide

Context: engineering, geography, biology, transportation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据工程设计方案，拟建水渠全长一百二十公里，将有效解决该地区农业灌溉用水严重不足的问题。(According to the engineering design plan, the proposed irrigation canal will have a total length of 120 kilometres, effectively addressing the severe shortage of agricultural irrigation water in the region.)
• 这艘新型航空母舰全长超过三百三十米，满载排水量达十万吨，是该国海军有史以来最大的水面作战舰艇。(This new aircraft carrier has a total length of over 330 metres and a full-load displacement of 100,000 tonnes, making it the largest surface combat vessel the country's navy has ever operated.)

Don't Say

• 这部电影的全长是两小时 — use 时长 or 片长; 全长 refers to physical spatial length, not temporal duration

Origin & History

全 (complete/whole) + 长 (length) — the complete measurement of length from end to end

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal