最 (zuì) - most & extremely

最Tone 4

zuì ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

志

最 · zuì

most;

extremely;

superlative degree;

to the highest degree;

used to form superlatives.

mostextremelysuperlative degree

Usage highlights

the mostbestmost beautifulmost importantmost recentmost popular

Synonyms

  • 极— extremely, utmost
  • 顶— top, peak
  • 至— to the highest degree

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This is the most beautiful place (最美的地方).
  • He is the tallest in the class (最高的).
  • I like this book the most (最喜欢这本书).
  • The most important thing is health (最重要的事情).

Collocations

  • the most(最)
  • best(最好)
  • most beautiful(最美)
  • most important(最重要)
  • most recent(最近)
  • most popular(最受欢迎)

Idioms

  • The most supreme(至高无上)
  • The best policy(最上策)
  • The ultimate in wickedness(穷凶极恶之最)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used extensively in Chinese to form superlative expressions, similar to '-est' in English.
  • Common in modern Chinese advertising and product names to emphasize superiority.
  • Appears in classical Chinese texts as an adverb meaning 'extremely' or 'utmost'.

FAQ