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至极 (zhì jí) — to the utmost point; extremely (formal, following an adjective)

Definition

A formal adverb meaning 'extremely / to the utmost', placed after an adjective (e.g. 遗憾至极). Stronger and more literary than 极 (jí), which is the everyday equivalent.

adverb
to the utmost pointextremely (formal, following an adjective)

Examples

  • ，至极。
    Cǐ shí cǐ kè, tā de xīn qíng fù zá zhì jí.
    At this moment, her feelings are extremely complicated.
  • 至极，。
    Zhè zuò gōng diàn huá lì zhì jí, lìng rén tàn wéi guān zhǐ.
    This palace is splendid to the utmost, leaving people in awe.
  • 至极。
    Tā duì nà cì shī bài gǎn dào yí hàn zhì jí.
    He felt extremely regretful about that failure.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

至zhìreach
极jíutmost point

至 means reach and 极 means the utmost point, giving the sense of reaching an extreme limit.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

至 is drawn as an arrow stuck into the ground.

Open 至 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí极jí
Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →
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