Sentence pattern · Band 3

更 and 最: more, and the most

更/最 + 形容词

更 turns the dial up: nice, nicer, 更好看. It quietly assumes a comparison is already underway, someone just asked which one. 最 ends the argument: the best, the tallest, champion of the whole group. Two fighters need 比; three or more crown a 最. 更 never settles anything, it just raises the stakes.

Hear it in a sentence

这本书更好看。Zhè běn shū gèng hǎokàn.This book is even better.
他今天更忙了。Tā jīntiān gèng máng le.He is even busier today.
哪个城市最漂亮？Nǎge chéngshì zuì piàoliang?Which city is the most beautiful?
我最喜欢喝咖啡。Wǒ zuì xǐhuan hē kāfēi.I like coffee the most.

Mistakes people make

Not this我比他最高。Wǒ bǐ tā zuì gāo.Say this我比他高。Wǒ bǐ tā gāo.

比 compares two; 最 crowns a champion of three or more, so the two never share a sentence.

Not this这本书很好看最。Zhè běn shū hěn hǎokàn zuì.Say this这本书最好看。Zhè běn shū zuìhǎo kàn.

更 and 最 lead the adjective, never trail it.

Words in this pattern

更gèng最zuì

Quick answers

What does 更、最 mean?

更 turns the dial up: nice, nicer, 更好看. It quietly assumes a comparison is already underway, someone just asked which one. 最 ends the argument: the best, the tallest, champion of the whole group. Two fighters need 比; three or more crown a 最. 更 never settles anything, it just raises the stakes.

How do you build it?

更/最 + 形容词

What is the most common mistake?

我比他最高。 → 我比他高。

比 compares two; 最 crowns a champion of three or more, so the two never share a sentence.

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