Kilo Lingo

(zuì hǎo) - best, had better, it would be best in Mandarin

zuìhǎo

Traditional: 最好

Line drawing of 最好
Coloured illustration of 最好
HSK 2
#254 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

best, had better, it would be best

Word origin

A two-character compound meaning best or had better. 最 (zuì) is the superlative marker meaning most, and 好 (hǎo) means good; the literal sense is most good. 好 is itself an associative compound of 女 (woman) and 子 (child), traditionally read as depicting something good or pleasing.

Origin
compound
Root
最 (zuì, most) + 好 (hǎo, good; 女 woman + 子 child)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 最

Stroke order for 好

Examples

This is the best method.

You had better apologize.

It would be best not to go.

We had better set off a bit earlier.

This restaurant's coffee tastes the best.

最好 (zuì hǎo) means best, had better, it would be best. It is used as a adverb in everyday Mandarin speech.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 6.