総合

• Reading: そうごう
• Romaji: sougou
• Kanji breakdown: 総 (sou) — general, total, all; 合 (gou/au) — to combine, join, fit
• Pronunciation: /soː.ɡoː/

Meaning

Synthesis; combination; integration. Bringing multiple elements together into a unified whole.

A する verb (総合する) meaning to synthesise or integrate. Extremely common in compound words like 総合病院 (general hospital), 総合的 (comprehensive), and 総合大学 (comprehensive university). Used across academic, business, and everyday contexts to describe anything that combines multiple parts.

Examples

1. 各教科の成績を総合して最終評価を出す。 Final grades are determined by combining scores from all subjects.
2. 総合病院で精密検査を受けることにした。 I decided to get a thorough examination at a general hospital.
3. この問題は総合的な視点から考える必要がある。 This issue needs to be considered from a comprehensive perspective.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, business, healthcare

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 総 (sou, general/total/all) + 合 (gou, to combine/join). Together they convey the idea of bringing everything together into one.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal