總統 / 总统
zǒngtǒng
The English word "president" can be translated into Chinese as 總統 / 总统 (zǒngtǒng). Wiktionary also lists 主席 (zhǔxí).
Meaning: the head of state of a republic (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 總統 / 总统 | zǒngtǒng |
| 主席 | zhǔxí |
總統 / 总统 is used to refer to the head of state of a republic. Another term, 主席, can also mean president, but it specifically refers to the president of a country when that person holds a chairmanship or to the chairperson of various organizations and committees.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 總統 (zǒngtǒng) is composed of two parts: 總 meaning 'general' or 'chief' and 統 meaning 'rule' or 'govern'.
Which one should you use?
Use 主席 (zhǔxí) for a president who holds a chairmanship, such as the president of a committee, a party or a specific association. Use 總統 / 总统 for the head of state of a republic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 總統 is used in regions that use Traditional Chinese characters, such as Taiwan. The form 总统 is used in regions that use Simplified Chinese characters, such as Mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
zǒngtǒng
Did you know?
- Although used in Chinese today, the term 總統 was actually a coinage from 19th-century Japan to translate Western political concepts.
- If you were to call the head of a company a 總統, it would sound quite strange and incorrect to a native speaker.
- The character 總 in 總統 is the same character used in the word for 'total' or 'sum', reflecting the 'general' or 'all-encompassing' nature of the role.
Examples in context
- FSI人員:"長官，有一個網站，任何人都可以加上一個外國語言的句子!"。FSI主席:"什麼? 炸掉他們!"。FSI officer: "Sir, there is a website where ANYONE can add a sentence in a foreign language!". FSI president: "What?! Bomb them!".This sentence uses 主席 to refer to a president of an organization.Tatoeba #808630 by Martha, translation #451563 by saeb
- 中华人民共和国主席President of the People's Republic of China
- 美国总统President of the United States
- 学校校长是学生会的主任The school principal is the president of the student council
- 公司总裁Company President
- 我们的大总统Our Great President
Sources
- Wiktionary, “president” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 總統, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
