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Mythic Mandarin

The best and the hardest: 最 and 有点儿

HSK 2 Unit 3: Comparing things · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 16 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can say what is the most or the best with 最, say something is a bit too much with 有点儿, and talk about what is easy and difficult.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 更 mean?

    1. to let, to make (someone do)
    2. long
    3. even more
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, even more.

    更 (gèng) means even more.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “the same”?

    1. 一样
    2. 丈夫
    3. 帮忙
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 一样.

    “the same” is 一样 (yíyàng).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    就 jiù

    1. as early as, right away
    2. late
    3. to let, to make (someone do)
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, as early as, right away.

    You heard 就 (jiù): as early as, right away.

New words

  • 最zuìmost
  • 好看hǎokàngood-looking, nice to watch
  • 难nándifficult
  • 容易róngyìeasy
  • 有点儿yǒudiǎnra bit, rather (often negative)

最: the most

最 (zuì) + adjective is the most: 最好, the best; 最难, the hardest.

  • 这个菜最好吃。

    Zhège cài zuì hǎochī.

    This dish is the tastiest.

  • 你最喜欢什么颜色？

    Nǐ zuì xǐhuan shénme yánsè?

    What's your favourite colour?

有点儿 and 一点儿

有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr) goes before an adjective and usually complains: a bit too. 一点儿 goes after an adjective in comparisons and requests.

  • 这件衣服有点儿贵。

    Zhè jiàn yīfu yǒudiǎnr guì.

    This piece of clothing is a bit expensive.

  • 便宜一点儿，好吗？

    Piányi yìdiǎnr, hǎo ma?

    A bit cheaper, please?

  • Not: 这件衣服一点儿贵。

    But: 这件衣服有点儿贵。 Zhè jiàn yīfu yǒudiǎnr guì.

    Before an adjective: 有点儿.

难 (nán) is difficult and 容易 (róngyì) easy.

  • 汉语不太难。

    Hànyǔ bú tài nán.

    Chinese isn't too hard.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

What's the hardest?

David asks Teacher Wang about learning Chinese.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What does David find hardest?

    1. listening and speaking
    2. writing characters
    3. reading short texts
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, writing characters.

    我说写汉字最难.

  2. Listening

    What does Teacher Wang advise?

    1. write a little every day
    2. read a little every day
    3. listen to Chinese music
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, write a little every day.

    每天写一点儿，就不难了.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 大卫

    王老师Wáng lǎoshī，学xué汉语Hànyǔ，什么shénme最zuì难nán？

    Teacher Wang, what's the hardest thing about learning Chinese?

  2. 王老师

    你Nǐ说shuō呢ne？

    What do you think?

  3. 大卫

    我Wǒ说shuō写xiě汉字Hànzì最zuì难nán。听Tīng和hé说shuō有点儿yǒudiǎnr难nán，读dú最zuì容易róngyì。

    I'd say writing characters is the hardest. Listening and speaking are a bit hard, and reading is the easiest.

  4. 王老师

    很Hěn多duō学生xuésheng都dōu这样zhèyàng说shuō。每天Měitiān写xiě一点儿yìdiǎnr，就jiù不bù难nán了le。

    Lots of students say so. Write a little every day, and it won't be hard any more.

  5. 大卫

    好Hǎo，我wǒ每天měitiān写xiě十shí个gè字zì。

    OK, I'll write ten characters every day.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 我说写汉字最难。听和说有点儿难，读最容易。

    Wǒ shuō xiě Hànzì zuì nán. Tīng hé shuō yǒudiǎnr nán, dú zuì róngyì.

    I'd say writing characters is the hardest. Listening and speaking are a bit hard, and reading is the easiest.

  • 王老师，学汉语，什么最难？

    Wáng lǎoshī, xué Hànyǔ, shénme zuì nán?

    Teacher Wang, what's the hardest thing about learning Chinese?

  • 很多学生都这样说。每天写一点儿，就不难了。

    Hěn duō xuésheng dōu zhèyàng shuō. Měitiān xiě yìdiǎnr, jiù bù nán le.

    Lots of students say so. Write a little every day, and it won't be hard any more.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 最 mean?

    1. not to have
    2. most
    3. time
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, most.

    最 (zuì) means most.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “good-looking, nice to watch”?

    1. 帮忙
    2. 唱歌
    3. 好看
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 好看.

    “good-looking, nice to watch” is 好看 (hǎokàn).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 难 (difficult)?

    1. nàn
    2. nán
    3. nān
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, nán.

    难 is read nán. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    容易 róngyì

    1. easy
    2. to do
    3. hospital
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, easy.

    You heard 容易 (róngyì): easy.

  5. Pinyin

    Type the pinyin of 有点儿 (a bit, rather (often negative)). Tone marks or tone numbers are welcome.

    Show the answer

    Answer: yǒudiǎnr

    有点儿 is yǒudiǎnr in pinyin.

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence means This shirt is a bit big?

    1. 这件衣服一点儿大。
    2. 这件衣服有点儿大。
    3. 这件衣服大有点儿。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 这件衣服有点儿大。.

    这件衣服有点儿大。 有点儿 before the adjective.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Which film is the best?

    哪个电影＿＿好看？

    1. 最
    2. 更
    3. 比
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 最.

    哪个电影最好看？ 最: the most.

  8. In context

    Someone asks if Chinese is hard. You think it's not too bad. What do you say?

    1. 汉语最难。
    2. 汉语有点儿容易。
    3. 汉语不太难。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 汉语不太难。.

    汉语不太难。: 汉语不太难: not too hard.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for the most difficult (最 + adjective)

    Show the answer

    Answer: 最难

    最难: the most difficult.

Your favourites

Talk about your favourites and difficulties out loud, in five sentences.

  1. Your favourite food, film or place: 我最喜欢…。
  2. What is hardest for you in Chinese.
  3. Something that is a bit too expensive or too far: …有点儿…。

Sentence frames

  • 我最喜欢＿＿。

    Wǒ zuì xǐhuan ＿＿.

    My favourite is ...

  • ＿＿有点儿＿＿。

    ＿＿ yǒudiǎnr ＿＿.

    ... is a bit ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I can say the most with 最.
  • I put 有点儿 before an adjective and 一点儿 after it.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: The one in red: describing people with 的