adjective / adverb HSK 2
whole · entire · complete · all · completely
Meaning
全 means 'whole' or 'complete' and is one of the most fundamental Chinese words for expressing totality. It can describe something that is entire or intact, or function as an adverb meaning 'completely' or 'entirely'.
Usage
全 is extremely common in everyday speech. As an adjective, it often appears before nouns (全家 'whole family') or as a complement indicating completeness. As an adverb, it intensifies verbs and adjectives to mean 'completely' or 'all'. Native speakers use it constantly to emphasize wholeness or totality.
Examples
- 01我全家都喜欢旅游。.My whole family likes to travel.
- 02这些东西我全要了。.I want all of these things.
Common collocations
- 全家whole family
- 全部all, entire
- 全国entire country, nationwide
- 全世界the whole world
Antonyms
Origin
Originally depicted a complete jade piece (玉) under a roof (人), symbolizing something precious and intact. The character evolved to represent completeness in general.