Expressing "one of" with "zhiyi"

Level

B1 / HSK4
Level

B1
Level

HSK4
Similar to
- Expressing "among" with "dangzhong" (B2)
- Expressing "within (it/them)" with "qizhong" (B2)
Similar to
- Expressing "within (it/them)" with "qizhong" (HSK4)
- Expressing "among" with "dangzhong" (HSK5)
Used for
Keywords

一, 最, 之一, 之

之一 (zhīyī) is a simple phrase which means "one of." Although it uses the somewhat archaic word 之 (zhī), it's quite common in spoken Chinese, and is even commonly used in jokes.

Structure

In order to express "one of the..." in Chinese, 之一 (zhī yī) can be used at the end of a noun phrase, which is often modified with 最 (zuì), meaning "the most."

Subj. + 是 + [Noun Phrase] + 之一

[Noun Phrase] + 之一 + 是 ⋯⋯

Examples

她是我 最好 的朋友 之一 。Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou zhī yī.She is one of my best friends.
Frozen 是我 最喜欢 的迪斯尼电影 之一 。Frozen shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de Dísīní diànyǐng zhī yī.Frozen is one of my favorite Disney movies.
纽约是世界上 最国际化 的城市 之一 。Niǔyuē shì shìjiè shàng zuì guójìhuà de chéngshì zhī yī.New York is the one of the most international cities in the world.
他是这个公司的创始人 之一 。Tā shì zhège gōngsī de chuàngshǐ rén zhī yī.He is one of the founders of this company.
成龙是 最有名 的中国明星 之一 。Chéng Lóng shì zuì yǒumíng de Zhōngguó míngxīng zhī yī.Jackie Cheng is one of the most famous Chinese movie stars.
我想离开北京的原因 之一 是空气污染。Wǒ xiǎng líkāi Běijīng de yuányīn zhī yī shì kōngqì wūrǎn.One of the reasons why I want to leave Beijing is because of air pollution.
中秋节是中国重要的传统节日 之一 。Zhōngqiūjié shì Zhōngguó zhòngyào de chuántǒng jiérì zhī yī.Mid-autumn Day is one of the important traditional festivals in China.

The Common Joke

A joke you'll hear a lot in Chinese involves using 最 but then pausing before saying 之一. This can leave the impression that you're saying someone or something is "the best," but really you're saying "one of the best," which can be a big difference (and is not nearly as complimentary).

她是我 最好 的朋友 …… 之一。Tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou... zhī yī.She is my best friend... well, one of them.
你是我 最喜欢 的老师 …… 之一。Nǐ shì wǒ zuì xǐhuan de lǎoshī... zhī yī.You are my favorite teacher... well, one of them.
中国是我 最爱 的地方 …… 之一。Zhōngguó shì wǒ zuì ài de dìfang... zhī yī.China is my favorite place... well, one of them.

Sources and further reading

Books

Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 259) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
Integrated Chinese: Level 2 (1st ed) (pp. 227) [ →buy]
卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 52-3) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy