全体

• Reading: ぜんたい
• Romaji: zentai
• Kanji breakdown: 全 (zen) — all, complete; 体 (tai) — body, substance
• Pronunciation: /zeɴ.ta.i/

Meaning

Whole; entirety; overall. Refers to the complete scope of something, or used as an adverb meaning 'on earth' in questions.

A noun and adverb with two main uses. As a noun, it means 'the whole' or 'entirety' and is often followed by の or に: 全体の流れ (the overall flow), 全体に影響する (to affect the whole). In questions, 一体全体 adds emphasis like 'on earth.' Also used with 的: 全体的に (overall, generally).

Examples

1. 計画の全体像がようやく見えてきた。 The big picture of the plan is finally becoming clear.
2. 全体的に今回のテストは難しかった。 Overall, this test was pretty difficult.
3. 一体全体、何が起きたのですか。 What on earth happened?

Usage Guide

Context: academic, business, daily life

Tone: analytical

Origin & History

Compound of 全 (zen, all/complete) and 体 (tai, body/substance). Together, 'the complete body' — the entirety of something conceived as a unified whole.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal