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Difference 总算 and 终于?


MengJiaSheng

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Like many synonyms, they have something in common plus something different.

They both mean "finally/ in the end" but 总算 also means "generally/ on the whole":

虽然不理想,总算过得去。(Although not ideal but it's ok on the whole)

(You can't replace 总算 here with 终于! )

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They both share the meaning of "something finally happening according to your wish or plan" (usually after waiting or exerting yourself for quite some time, making efforts to make it happen). They are therefore interchangeable in the following sentences:

试验终于成功了。

一连下了六七天的雨,今天总算清了。

他白天想,夜里想,最后总算想到了一个好办法。

But 总算 has one more meaning - you can use it when you want to express, that something is generally okay/acceptable... it cannot be substituted by 终于 when used in this way:

小孩子的字能写成这样,总算不错了。

EDIT: Not fast enough :P

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