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最是

Mandarin · pinyin zuì shì

(before an adjective, to indicate superlative degree) the most ...
(literary) what exemplifies this particular quality to the highest degree is ...

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最: zuì · most, extremely, exceedingly
是: shì · indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that

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Mandarin tones

4–4 · zui4 shi4

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

adv

most; to the superlative degree
(literary) the thing that has the superlative degree of a particular quality is

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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