New here? This is lesson 95 of a free 240-lesson Traditional Chinese course.
Best and even better in Traditional Chinese
Neighbors around Banyan Lane are comparing bubble tea shops, and Yi-Jun invites Maya to help rank them. Auntie Lin is not taking part in the neighborhood vote.
Use 最 to name the top choice, and 更 to say one option goes further in a comparison. You will ask which shop is closest and name your favorite.
Listen for the falling tones in 最 and 更, then try the lines in a quick local ranking. A-Li is nearby, but his soy milk is still unfinished.
By the end of this lesson
Use 最 to identify the best or nearest option, and 更 to say one option is even cheaper or better.
- 最好吃The tastiest (food).
- 最近Nearest.
- 更便宜Even cheaper.
- 更好Even better.
- 我最喜歡的是這家My favorite is this one.
- 哪一家最近？Which shop is closest?
Scene — a neighborhood ranking
Yi-Jun is helping Maya compare neighborhood bubble tea shops and make a small local ranking. They talk about taste, price, and which shop is closest.
A-Jie joins in, while Auntie Lin stays out of the vote. A-Li is nearby with his soy milk, which remains unfinished.
Learn — the top choice and more
Use 最 to identify the top choice in a group. Use 更 when comparing something that goes further, such as a lower price or a better taste.
最好吃 describes food, while 最近 can describe the closest place in a location comparison.
最好吃
The tastiest (food).
When to use it: Use this to name the tastiest food in a group.
最 marks the top degree, and 好吃 describes food taste rather than a drink.
Say it: 最 has a falling fourth tone.
最近
Nearest.
When to use it: Use this for the nearest place when comparing locations.
最 marks the top degree here, so 最近 means nearest in this context.
更便宜
Even cheaper.
When to use it: Use this when comparing an option with something already mentioned.
更 adds a higher degree in a comparison, meaning the price is lower still.
Say it: 更 has a falling fourth tone.
更好
Even better.
When to use it: Use this when something is better than another option.
更 adds a higher degree in a comparison, meaning better still.
Say it: 更 has a falling fourth tone.
我最喜歡的是這家
My favorite is this one.
When to use it: Use this to say which place is your top choice.
最 marks your strongest preference, and 是這家 names which shop you mean.
哪一家最近？
Which shop is closest?
When to use it: Ask this when choosing among shops by distance.
最近 can mean nearest or recently; 哪一家 makes this a question about distance.
Story — bubble tea on the shortlist
Yi-Jun wants to compare bubble tea shops around Banyan Lane and make a neighborhood ranking. Maya asks about distance before they choose.
A-Jie shares his opinions, while Auntie Lin sits this vote out. A-Li watches nearby, still not finished with his soy milk.
Yi-Jun我們來排一下附近的珍珠奶茶店吧。Let's rank the nearby bubble tea shops.
Maya哪一家最近？Which shop is closest?
A-Jie這家最近。This shop is the closest.- Yi-Jun這家比那家貴。This shop is more expensive than that one.
- Maya那家更便宜。That shop is even cheaper.
- Yi-Jun這家更好。This shop is even better.
- A-Jie我帶了雞排，這個最好吃。I brought a chicken cutlet; this is the tastiest.
- Maya我最喜歡的是這家。My favorite is this one.
A-Li你們慢慢選，我的豆漿還沒喝完。Take your time choosing; I still haven't finished my soy milk.
Practice — rank the shops
Try ten quick activities to compare prices, ask which shop is closest, and state your favorite. Some exercises revisit comparisons you already know.
Read each situation carefully: a top choice and an even better option are not the same claim.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
最好吃
What do you say?
What do you say?
Ask your friend which of several nearby shops is the closest.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
My favorite is this one.
我____喜歡的是這家
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Even cheaper.
____便宜
Swap the word
Swap the word
Change the top-choice wording to say this is better than another option.
____
What do you say?
What do you say?
Tell Yi-Jun which shop is your favorite.
Match the pairs
Traditional Chinese
最好吃Drop the English here最近Drop the English here更便宜Drop the English here更好Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Tell Yi-Jun that this shop costs more than the other one.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are comparing several shops by distance and need the short word meaning nearest.
Say it — give your own verdict
You are Maya, talking with Yi-Jun and A-Jie about nearby bubble tea shops. Listen to the cue and say your question or opinion.
Use the short comparison expressions naturally, and finish by saying which option is even cheaper.
- Maya and Yi-Jun compare the shops near Banyan Lane.
- Maya (you)Ask which shop is the closest.
Ask which shop is the closest.
哪一家最近？
Which shop is closest?
0 of 3 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Traditional Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 最好吃 | The tastiest (food). | |
| 最近 | Nearest. | |
| 更便宜 | Even cheaper. | |
| 更好 | Even better. | |
| 我最喜歡的是這家 | My favorite is this one. | |
| 哪一家最近？ | Which shop is closest? |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review these comparisons with Yak Cards and practice naming your top choice.
Practice one comparison and one top choice each day to make 最 and 更 feel natural.
Open Yak Cards