Dictionary › 最

最

zuì

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 character level 2 Character

最 (zuì) means "most; -est". It is an HSK 3.0 level 2 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 最 means

1. (before an adjective or verb) to the highest degree; (the) most ...; -est
2. (after {之|zhī}) best or most extreme example (e.g. {世界之最|shì jiè zhī zuì} "the greatest in the world")

Other readings

最 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• zuìvariant of {最|zuì}
• zuìold variant of {最|zuì}

Example sentences

• 我最好。
  I am the best.
• 我最棒。
  I'm the best.
• 最近咋样？
  Zuì jìn zǎ yàng?
  How've ya' been lately?
• 你最好走。
  You'd better go.
• 你最好去。
  You should go.
• 你最好了。
  You're the best.

Words starting with 最

• 最后zuì hòufinal; last; ultimate; finally; in the end
• 最好zuì hǎobest; had better ...; it would be best to ...
• 最近zuì jìnrecently; soon; nearest
• 最终zuì zhōngfinal; ultimate
• 最初zuì chūfirst; primary; initial
• 最新zuì xīnlatest; newest
• 最高zuì gāotallest; highest; supreme (court etc)
• 最多zuì duōat most; maximum; greatest (amount)
• 最佳zuì jiāoptimum; optimal; peak
• 最为zuì wéithe most
• 最少zuì shǎoat least; minimum; lowest (amount)
• 最先zuì xiān(the) very first
• 最大化zuì dà huàto maximize
• 最高法院zuì gāo fǎ yuànsupreme court
• 最优zuì yōuoptimal; optimum
• 最高人民法院Zuì gāo Rén mín Fǎ yuànSupreme People's Court (PRC)
• 最低点zuì dī diǎnlowest point; nadir; minimum level
• 最后通牒zuì hòu tōng diéultimatum
• 最是zuì shì(before an adjective, to indicate superlative degree) the most ...…
• 最好是zuì hǎo shì(as a complete expression, or followed by 啦
• 最大公约数zuì dà gōng yuē shùhighest common factor HCF; greatest common divisor GCD
• 最年长zuì nián zhǎngeldest
• 最大公因子zuì dà gōng yīn zǐhighest common factor HCF; greatest common divisor GCD
• 最小化zuì xiǎo huàto minimize

Words containing 最

• 美国最高法院Měi guó Zuì gāo Fǎ yuànSupreme Court of the United States
• 真声最高音zhēn shēng zuì gāo yīn(music) the highest note one can sing in a natural (non-falsetto) voice
• 为善最乐wéi shàn zuì lèdoing good deeds brings the greatest joy (idiom)
• 帕累托最优Pà lèi tuō zuì yōuPareto efficiency (economics); Pareto optimality
• 六方最密堆积liù fāng zuì mì duī jīhexagonal close-packed (HCP) (math.)
• 苏联最高苏维埃Sū lián Zuì gāo Sū wéi āiSupreme Soviet
• 面心立方最密堆积miàn xīn lì fāng zuì mì duī jīface-centered cubic (FCC) (math.)
• 压死骆驼的最后一根稻草yā sǐ luò tuo de zuì hòu yī gēn dào cǎothe straw that broke the camel’s back (idiom); the final straw
• 谁笑到最后，谁笑得最好shéi xiào dào zuì hòu , shéi xiào dé zuì hǎoHe laughs best who laughs last.
• 谁笑在最后，谁笑得最好shéi xiào zài zuì hòu , shéi xiào dé zuì hǎoHe laughs best who laughs last.

Characters built on 日

These share the phonetic component 日 (rì), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 晦huì(bound form) last day of a lunar month; (bound form) dark; gloomy; (literary) night
• 晖huīsunshine; to shine upon; variant of 辉
• 晷guǐsundial
• 暌kuíin opposition to; separated from

Characters that look like 最

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 雇gùto employ; to hire; to rent
• 廉liánincorruptible; honest; inexpensive
• 巢cháonest
• 庸yōngordinary; to use
• 嵩sōng(literary) (of mountains) lofty
• 豢huànto rear; to raise (animals)

Sounds the same

Read zuì, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 醉intoxicated
• 罪guilt; crime; fault
• 蕞to assemble; small
• 晬1st birthday of a child
• 檇wooden pestle or rammer
• 槜see 槜李; see 槜李

Where 最 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Speed, Manner and Degree (HSK 2), HSK 2 Characters · Set 4 (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read zuì correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.