1 · Comparison
More and most: gèng and zuì
the comparative and superlative adverbs
Gèng before an adjective means “more” or “even more”; zuì means “most”.
Chinese adjectives have no “-er” and no “-est”. Instead, a small word goes in front. 最 means “most”: 他最高, “he is the tallest”. 更 means “more” or “even more”, compared with something already mentioned: 这个好，那个更好, “this one is good, that one is better”.
In a plain sentence an adjective usually has 很 in front: 我很忙. 更 and 最 take the place of 很 — never use two of them together: 我最忙, not 我很最忙. Both also work with verbs of liking and wanting: 我最喜欢夏天, “I like summer best”.
To say “the most … in a group”, name the group first: 我们班他最高, “in our class he is the tallest”. Before a noun, 最 and its adjective take 的: 最好的朋友, “best friend”.
English has a few irregular forms — good, better, best — and Chinese has none: 好, 更好, 最好. Note also that 最 always means “the most of all”. English “most people” (the majority) is a different word, shown in the box below.
The form
| plain: tall | 他很高。 |
| more, even more | 他弟弟更高。 |
| the most | 他爸爸最高。 |
| like best | 我最喜欢夏天。 |
| the best friend | 他是我最好的朋友。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
最 before an adjective or a verb of liking means “most”.
我最喜欢吃饺子。I like dumplings best.
更 means “more” or “even more”, compared with something already mentioned.
北京很冷，哈尔滨更冷。Beijing is cold, and Harbin is even colder.
更 and 最 take the place of 很; do not use them together.
这家的面条最好吃。The noodles here are the best.
Name the group first, then 最.
我们家妈妈最忙。In our family, Mum is the busiest.
Before a noun, 最 and its adjective take 的.
这是我们这儿最大的公园。This is the biggest park around here.
A closer look
Gèng with and without bǐ
更 does not need 比. When the comparison is clear from what has just been said, 更 alone is enough: 茶很好，可是我更喜欢咖啡. With 比 it adds “even”: 今天比昨天更冷, “today is even colder than yesterday” — yesterday was already cold.
最 can be followed by 了 for enthusiasm: 这个办法最好了！, “that is the best idea of all!”. And 我最喜欢了 is a common way to say “I love it”.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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“most” means “the majority”
say 大多数, not 最.
大多数学生都住在学校。Most of the students live on campus.
最 picks out the top of a scale; it cannot count how many people or things there are.
How to spot it
- 更
- 最
- 比…更
Example sentences
这三个苹果，这个最大。Of these three apples, this one is the biggest.
我喜欢猫，我妹妹更喜欢猫。I like cats, and my younger sister likes them even more.
你最喜欢什么颜色？What is your favourite colour?
坐飞机很快，可是坐火车更方便。Flying is fast, but the train is more convenient.
她是我们班最聪明的学生。She is the cleverest student in our class.
这件好看，那件更好看。This one looks nice, but that one looks even nicer.
7 more example sentences
我觉得春天最舒服。I think spring is the most pleasant season.
这本书有意思，那本更有意思。This book is interesting, and that one is even more interesting.
你们家谁最高？Who is the tallest in your family?
我更想去海边。I would rather go to the seaside.
哪个菜最便宜？Which dish is the cheapest?
星期五我最忙。Friday is my busiest day.
今天比昨天更冷。Today is even colder than yesterday.
Worth knowing (1)
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Zuìhǎo: you had better
Put together as one word before a verb, 最好 stops meaning “the best” and gives advice: “you had better”, “it would be best to”.
明天会下雨，你最好带伞。It's going to rain tomorrow, so you had better take an umbrella.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
很 and 最 both say how much, so a sentence has room for only one of them. English speakers who have learned that an adjective needs 很 tend to keep it out of habit; as soon as 更 or 最 arrives, 很 goes.
Gèng is more, zuì is most — and either one replaces hěn.
Your turn
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