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Is there a difference between the use of these two? In my book, a sentence says '木屋里总共只有两个房间和一张床' - could you say 一共 here instead of 总共?

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    ＂实用汉语近义虚词词典＂总共（副）／一共（副） ［相同] 都是副词，表示合在一起，常可互换：（１）去西藏，来回总共需要多少天？（一共✓）（２）在中国留学，一年的费用总共是多少？（一共✓）（３）中级听力教材上册１２课，下册１２课，总共２４课。（一共✓）（４）这篇文章总共不过几百字，竟然就有几十个错别字，太不像话了！（一共✓）（５）买这些东西，一共花了３００多元。（总共✓）（６）我们班一共３２个同学。（总共✓）（７）吃饭加住宿，一共才２００元，的确很便宜。（总共✓）（８）我每个月工资一共不过３０００元，哪里有钱买房子？（总共✓） ［不同］ ＂总共＂有时可以作定语，＂一共＂不能：（１）他这个月总共的支出是多少？（一共✗）（２）我的生活费占总共收入的２０％。（一共✗）（３）基本工资加奖金，就是你总共的收入。（一共✗） Also note： 统共 ：同＂一共＂，不如＂一共＂常用， 一总 同＂一共＂。
    – user6065
    Mar 11, 2018 at 22:13

2 Answers 2

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could you say 一共 here instead of 总共?

Edit:

Yes you can, '总共两个房间和一张床' means "two rooms and one bed in total" room and bed are grouped as features in the house, therefore '一共两个房间和一张床' (altogether) is also correct"

However, it would be weird to say "一共一张床" because "一共" should apply to more than one item (which you add them up together)

总共 = in total

"我们这里总共有十个房间" = "we have ten rooms here in total"

"我们总共十个人" = "we have ten people in total"

~

一共 = altogether

"我们这里一共有十个房间" = "we have ten rooms here altogether "

"我们一共十个人" = "we have ten people altogether "

The only difference between 总共 and 一共 is 总共 can be used to describe a single item but 一共 cannot. We say "总共只有一人" , but not "一共只有一人"

Notice: you can say "一共一元" because a dollar is one hundred cents add up together.

"一共一元" means "合共一元" ($1 altogether)

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  • The reason for the downvote?
    – Blaszard
    Mar 12, 2018 at 3:54
  • Originally, I thought "总共两个房间和一张床" would mean "two rooms in total" and "one bed in total" because room and bed are different items. However, after some consideration, I decided rooms and beds can be grouped together as 'features" in the house.
    – Tang Ho ♦
    Mar 12, 2018 at 4:14
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I agree with comment 1. The key difference between 一共 and 总共 is that 总共 can be used as attributive, whereas 一共 can not. They're interchangeable in other usages. For example, 总共的价钱，not 一共的价钱.

Well, in your case, they're pretty much interchangeable. So, '木屋里一共只有两个房间和一张床' is also correct.

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  • how could any user not agree with 实用汉语近义虚词词典／赵新，刘若云主编。---北京：北京大学出版社，２０１３。１？
    – user6065
    Mar 13, 2018 at 6:02

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