TongTong
Sign in

顶尖 (dǐng jiān) — (adjective) top, top-notch, elite; (noun) peak, apex; the highest level

Definition

顶尖 (dǐngjiān) means 'top, top-notch' and is used to label people or things at the very highest level. Pairs naturally with professions (顶尖设计师, 顶尖酒店); 巅峰 is the closer noun for a peak reached, while 顶级 is a plain adjective synonym.

adjective
toptop-notchelite
noun
peakapexthe highest level

Examples

  • 顶尖。
    Tā shì yí wèi dǐng jiān shè jì shī.
    She is a top designer.
  • 顶尖。
    Nà jiā dǐng jiān jiǔ diàn de fú wù hěn hǎo.
    That top hotel has great service.
  • 顶尖。
    Zhè wèi huà jiā de zuò pǐn dá dào le yì shù dǐng jiān.
    This painter's works have reached the artistic peak.

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.

顶dǐngtop
尖jiāntip/point

“顶” indicates the very top, and “尖” is the tip or point; together they mean the highest point.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頂; 顶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng頂dǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 頂 pairs 頁, meaning head, with 丁, which supplies the sound; the simplified 顶 is a later abbreviation.

Open 顶 →

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

尖 puts 小 (small) above 大 (large), showing the width of an object gradually changing from small to large.

Open 尖 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Good & Bad

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.