谁最高？谁最矮？

In our previous lesson, we learned the Chinese word 比. This word is used when we are comparing two things. For example, when we want to say “this apple is sweeter than that apple”, we say  这个苹果比那个苹果甜. Today, we will touch on another Chinese word  最 to describe  “the most….. / …..est.

 

Before we proceed to the dialogue section of our lesson for today, let us go through some adjective words that you can use when making comparisons or describing a something or someone.

 

Simplified Chinese	English	PinYin
高	Tall  (high)	Gāo
矮	Low	Ǎi
胖 肥	Fat	Pàng
瘦	Thin	Shòu
漂亮	Pretty	Piàoliang
丑	Ugly	Chǒu
香	Fragrant	Xiāng
臭	Smelly	Chòu
大	Big	Dà
小	Small	Xiǎo
长	Long	Zhǎng
短	Short	Duǎn
远	Far	Yuǎn
近	Near	Jìn

 

In today’s conversation, Wang Li and Zhang Yun are talking about the Korean actors and actresses. Both of them enjoy watching Korean drama and are comparing who is the prettiest and most handsome. From the dialogue, you will learn how to use the suffix ….est from the list of adjectives we have listed above.

 

Zhang Yun:     Have you watched the Korean drama “ My girlfriend is a Gumiho”?

Wang Li:         Of course! The actor, Lee Seung Gi, is very handsome. He is one of my favorite Korean actors.

Zhang Yun:     I think Hyun Bin is handsomer than Lee Seung Gi.

Wang Li:         I agree. But Dennis Oh is the most handsome.

Zhang Yun:     Who is Dennis Oh? Is he a Korean?

Wang Li:         Not really! He is a Korean and American mixed.

Zhang Yun:     I have not seen any of his dramas.  Which drama was he in?

Wang Li:         East of Eden.

Zhang Yun:     Oh, I did not watch this one. No wonder I don’t know him.

Wang Li:         What about Lee Duo Hai?

Zhang Yun      Lee Duo Hai is the prettiest Korean actresses I know of.

Wang Li          How I wish I can be as pretty as her.

Zhang Yun      Stop day dreaming!

 

张云                你看了韩剧”我的女友是九尾狐”了没？

王丽                当然！剧里的男演员李昇基很帅。他是我喜欢的韩国男演员之一。

张云                我认为玄彬比李昇基帅。

王丽                我同意。 但是丹尼斯·吴 最帅。

张云                丹尼斯·吴是谁？他是韩国人吗？

王丽                也不完全是。他是韩美混血儿。

张云                我没看过他主演的电视剧。他在那部电视剧主演过？

王丽                伊甸园之东

张云                哦，我没看这一部。怪不得我不认识他。

王丽                李多海怎么样？

张云                李多海是我认识的韩国女演员中最漂亮的。

王丽                多希望我能长得像她一样漂亮。

张云                别做白日梦了!

 

Zhāng Yún      Nǐ kànle hán jù” wǒ de nǚyǒu shì jiǔ wěi hú”le méi?

Wáng lì            Dāngrán! Jù lǐ de nán yǎnyuán lishēngjī hěn shuài. Tā shì wǒ xǐhuan de hánguó nán yǎnyuán zhī yī.

Zhāng Yún      Wǒ rèn wéi xuán bīn bǐ li shēng jī shuài.

Wáng lì            Wǒ tóngyì. Dànshì dān nísī•wú zuì shuài.

Zhāng Yún      Shuí shì dān nísī•wú? Tā shì hánguó rén ma?

Wáng Lì          Yě bù wánquán shì. Tā shì hán měi hùnxiě’er.

Zhāng Yún      Wǒ méi kànguò tā zhǔyǎn de diànshìjù. Tā zài nà bù diànshìjù zhǔyǎnguò? Wáng lì           Yīdiànyuán zhī dōng

Zhāng Yún      ó, wǒ méi kàn zhè yī bù. Guàibùdé wǒ bù rènshi tā.

Wáng lì            Li duō hǎi zěnme yàng?

Zhāng yún       Li duō hǎi shì wǒ rènshi de hánguó nǚ yǎnyuán zhōng zuì piàoliang de.

Wáng lì            Duō xīwàng wǒ néng zhǎng de xiàng tā yī yàng piàoliang.

Zhāng yún       Bié zuò bái rì mèngle!

Do you have any favorite actors or actresses? In Chinese, the word actor or actress is 演员 yǎnyuán. When you are referring to an actor, you have to add the Chinese word 男 nán to mean male and女 nǚ for actress to mean female. The Chinese word 演 yǎn  when used as a verb, it means to act. 员 yuán is a noun and it means member or person.

 

也不完全是 is a phrase you use when you want to express what the other person said is not totally correct. 不完全 is the negative form of 完全. 完全 wánquán means completely or totally. 完 is finish/whole/entire and 全 is total/all/whole.

 

最 …est  is the highlight of this lesson.  It is used when you want to express the feeling of the most, something extreme. Examples of expression you can use with the word 最 are :

 

我最喜欢吃面包 Wǒ zuì xǐhuan chī miànbāo

This sentence implies that of all the food, I like eating bread the most. 最喜欢 means like the most.

 

今年最受欢迎的影片是哪一部？Jīnnián zuì shòu huānyíng de yǐngpiàn shì nǎ yī bù?

最受欢迎 means the most popular. The meaning of this sentence is which movie is the most popular this year? 影片 is movie and 今年 is this year.

你最讨厌什么动物？Nǐ zuì tǎoyàn shénme dòngwù?

最讨厌 means hate the most. The question is asking which animal do you hate the most?

We hope you are now able to form sentences using the word 最. With that, we end our lesson for today. Do come back for more lessons.