noun HSK 5
Traditional 總監
zǒng jiān
director · chief supervisor · general manager

Meaning

总监 refers to a high-level executive position in a company or organization, typically someone who oversees an entire department or division. It's commonly translated as 'director' and represents senior management below the CEO level but above regular managers.

Usage

This is a formal business term used in corporate settings. Common titles include 财务总监 (CFO), 技术总监 (CTO), and 营销总监 (marketing director). It's always used as a title or position name, not as a verb. When addressing someone directly, you can say '李总监' (Director Li).

Examples

  1. 01
    她刚被提升为公司的市场总监
    gāng bèi shēng wéi gōng de shì chǎng zǒng jiān.
    She was just promoted to Marketing Director of the company.
  2. 02
    我们需要和技术总监开会讨论这个项目。
    men yào shù zǒng jiān kāi huì tǎo lùn zhè ge xiàng .
    We need to have a meeting with the CTO to discuss this project.

Characters

Measure words

  • wèi一位总监
  • míng三名总监

Common collocations

  • 财务总监
    cái zǒng jiān
    Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • 技术总监
    shù zǒng jiān
    Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
  • 营销总监
    yíng xiāo zǒng jiān
    Marketing Director
  • 执行总监
    zhí xíng zǒng jiān
    Executive Director

Antonyms

Origin

The compound combines 总 (overall/chief) with 监 (to supervise), literally meaning 'chief supervisor.' This term became widely used in modern Chinese business contexts, particularly as Western corporate structures were adopted in Chinese companies.

Related