Difference between revisions of "Superlative "zui""
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* 他 <em>最</em> 聪明 了。<span class="trans">He is the smartest.</span> | * 他 <em>最</em> 聪明 了。<span class="trans">He is the smartest.</span> | ||
| − | * 你 <em>最</em> 瘦 了。<span class="trans">You | + | * 你 <em>最</em> 瘦 了。<span class="trans">You are the skinniest. </span> |
* 我 <em>最</em> 高 了。<span class="trans">I am the tallest.</span> | * 我 <em>最</em> 高 了。<span class="trans">I am the tallest.</span> | ||
Revision as of 06:58, 3 June 2013
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The most common way to form a superlative (best, worst, fattest, most complex, etc.) in Chinese is to use 最 (zuì) before an adjective.
Contents
Basic Structure
The structure is:
最 + Adjective
And now you have the superlative form of the adjective. Unlike in English, this structure is consistent for all adjectives in Chinese.
Examples
- 他 最 笨。He is the dumbest.
- 你 最 胖。You are the fattest.
- 我 最 矮。I am the shortest.
Optional 了
Occasionally you'll also see a 了 added after the adjective. This just adds emphasis to the "-est."
最 + Adjective + 了
Examples
- 他 最 聪明 了。He is the smartest.
- 你 最 瘦 了。You are the skinniest.
- 我 最 高 了。I am the tallest.
See also
- Expressing "excessively" with tai
- Positive adjectives with "-ji le"
- Expressing "rather" with "bijiao"
Sources and further reading
Books
- New Practical Chinese Reader 3 (新实用汉语课本3) (pp. 15-6) →buy
- Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar (pp. 571-4) →buy
