(zuì jiā) - best, optimal in Mandarin
zuìjiāTraditional: 最佳
Translation
best, optimal
Word origin
A compound of 最 (zuì, most) and 佳 (jiā, fine, excellent), a written word for the best of a set.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 最 (zuì, most) + 佳 (jiā, excellent)
Stroke order
最
佳
Examples
奖。
She won the award for best actress.
。
This is the best choice.
。
Now is the best time to buy tickets.
。
He is the best player in the team this year.
。
We need to find an optimal method.
最佳 (zuì jiā) is the formal, written best. It lives in award names, headlines, technical writing and anything official: 最佳影片, 最佳时间, 最佳方法, 最佳球员. The 的 is optional in front of the noun and is often dropped in a fixed title.
It is attributive. It goes in front of a noun and stays there. 这个方法最佳 is grammatical on paper but sounds stiff and nobody says it out loud; the ordinary sentence is 这个方法最好.
That is the main trap: 最好 and 最佳 are not swappable in both directions. 最好 covers everything 最佳 covers and also works as a predicate and as an adverb meaning you had better, as in 你最好早点走. 最佳 has neither of those jobs. If you say 你最佳早点走 you have written something that is not a sentence.
Where this fits
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最佳: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "最佳" (best, optimal): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 54.