Superlative "zui"

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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.

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

  • 笨。He is the dumbest.
  • 胖。You are the fattest.
  • 矮。I am the shortest.
  • 我 的朋友 有意思。My friends are the most interesting.
  • 你的姐姐 聪明。Your sister is the cleverest.
  • 汉语 难。The Chinese language is the most difficult.
  • 我的老板 严格。My boss is the most strictest.
  • 昨天你喝酒喝得多 。You are the one who drank the most yesterday.
  • 今天你回来得晚 。You are the one who came back latest today.
  • 昨晚你睡觉睡得早 。You are the one who went to bed earliest.

Optional 了

Occasionally you'll also see a 了 added after the adjective. This adds emphasis to the "-est."

最 + Adjective (+ 了)

Examples

  • 聪明 (This 了 is optional)He is the smartest.
  • (This 了 is optional)You are the skinniest.
  • (This 了 is optional)I am the tallest.
  • 他的女朋友 漂亮 (This 了 is optional)His girlfriend is the most beautiful.
  • 你的老师 (This 了 is optional)Your teacher is the best.
  • 我的妈妈 辛苦 (This 了 is optional)My mother is the hardest.
  • 你的记性(This 了 is optional)My memory is the best.
  • 我的中国朋友 热情(This 了 is optional)My Chinese friend is the most enthusiastic.
  • 他的学生 认真 (This 了 is optional)His student is the most serious.
  • 黄山的风景(This 了 is optional)Mountain Huang's landscape is the most beautiful.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books