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最高点 (zuì gāo diǎn) — highest point; all-time high (record level)

Definition

noun
highest pointall-time high (record level)

Examples

  • 最高点。
    Dēng shān duì zhōng yú dào dá le shān fēng de zuì gāo diǎn.
    The mountaineering team finally reached the highest point of the peak.
  • 最高点。
    Tā de zhí yè shēng yá zài sì shí suì nà nián dá dào le zuì gāo diǎn.
    His career reached its highest point at the age of forty.
  • 最高点。
    Zhè zhǒng gǔ piào jià gé zài shàng zhōu chuàng xià le lì shǐ zuì gāo diǎn.
    This stock's price hit an all-time high last week.

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.

最高highest
最zuìmost高gāohigh
偏正Modifier + head
点diǎnpoint

最 means most, 高 means high, and together they point to the topmost 点.

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 →

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

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 點; 点 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
黑黑hēiblack
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn點diǎn(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 點 pairs 黑 (black) with 占 for its sound; the simplified 点 is a later abbreviation.

Open 点 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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