最高峰 (zuì gāo fēng) — highest peak (literal); climax; summit (figurat…

Definition

noun

highest peak (literal)climaxsummit (figurative)

最高峰。
Zhū mù lǎng mǎ fēng shì shì jiè zuì gāo fēng.
Mount Everest is the world's highest peak.
最高峰。
Zhè chǎng bǐ sài de dì sān jú shì zhěng chǎng bǐ sài de zuì gāo fēng.
The third game of this match was the climax of the whole competition.
最高峰。
Tā shì yè de zuì gāo fēng shì zài sān shí suì.
The summit of his career came at age thirty.

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.

最高highest

偏正Modifier + head

最 conveys highest degree, 高 conveys high, and 峰 conveys peak, marking the summit or climax.

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

高 was drawn as a tall building.

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

山夆峰

Meaning part形符xíngfú

山山shānmountain

Sound part声符shēngfú

夆

夆páng峰fēng

Same sound today

峰 combines 山 (mountain) with 夆, which gives the character its sound.