最高 (zuì gāo) — highest, tallest; supreme, maximum

Definition

verb

highesttallestsuprememaximum

最高。
Jīn tiān de qì wēn shì quán nián zuì gāo de.
Today's temperature is the highest of the year.
，。
Tā kǎo le zuì gāo fēn, quán xiào dì yī.
He got the highest score, first in the whole school.
。
Zuì gāo fǎ yuàn de pàn jué shì zuì zhōng de.
The Supreme Court's ruling is final.

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.

Appears in