最好 (zuì hǎo) — had better; it's best to (do something)

Definition

最好 (zuì hǎo) means 'had better — it's best to' when giving advice or a suggestion. Unlike 还是, it goes before the verb phrase and cannot start an alternative question.

adverb
had betterit's best to (do something)

Examples

  • 最好。
    Nǐ zuì hǎo duō chī shuǐ guǒ.
    You had better eat more fruit.
  • 最好。
    Wǒ men zuì hǎo jīn tiān qù gōng yuán.
    It's best if we go to the park today.
  • 最好。
    Nǐ zuì hǎo míng tiān zài lái.
    You had better come again tomorrow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

最zuìmost
好hǎogood

最 “most” and 好 “good” together mean the best or most desirable.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
取
取qǔ最zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape pairs 取, which gives the sound, with a roof-like top from 宀; marks above were later added to separate the “most” meaning.

Open 最 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

Grammar

Appears in
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