最好 (had best / it's best to)
Advice takes its tone from context
- A friend recommends an early night before a busy day.
- 你最好早点睡。 — 最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
Advice takes its tone from context
- A friend recommends an early night before a busy day.
- you你best最好breakfast早点to sleep睡。 — best最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
A friend recommends an early night before a busy day. What does 你最好早点睡。 communicate?
最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course. Tone can make 最好 friendly advice or a warning. It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every 还是 suggestion.
Build the form
- The pattern in this lesson is 最好 (had best / it's best to). Locate it in the original interlinear examples below.
- Keep the words in their demonstrated positions; the pattern must fit the intended situation as well as the sentence form.
you你had best最好earlier早点sleep睡。
Build the form
- The pattern in this lesson is best最好 (had best / it's best to). Locate it in the original interlinear examples below.
- Keep the words in their demonstrated positions; the pattern must fit the intended situation as well as the sentence form.
you你had best最好earlier早点sleep睡。
Using the lesson pattern in this demonstrated example: You'd best sleep early: 你 ____ 早点睡。
最好 + Predicate = had best: 你最好早点睡.
Read examples in context
- In the opening example, 你最好早点睡。: 最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
- Explain who acts, what is described and which time or group is relevant before choosing an English paraphrase.
Read examples in context
- In the opening example, you你best最好breakfast早点to sleep睡。: best最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
- Explain who acts, what is described and which time or group is relevant before choosing an English paraphrase.
In a friend's recommendation 你最好早点睡, what is 最好 doing?
It recommends sleeping early. Context and tone decide whether advice is friendly, urgent or threatening; no universal strength ranking follows.
Build: “You'd best sleep early.”
Subj + 最好 + Predicate: 你 + 最好 + 早点睡.
Know the boundary
- Tone can make 最好 friendly advice or a warning.
- It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every 还是 suggestion.
Know the boundary
- Tone can make best最好 friendly advice or a warning.
- It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every or / still还是 suggestion.
最好 always threatens an unpleasant consequence.
Tone can make 最好 friendly advice or a warning. It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every 还是 suggestion. 最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
Use the distinction
- 最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
- Tone can make 最好 friendly advice or a warning. It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every 还是 suggestion.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Adverbs.
Use the distinction
- best最好 presents sleeping early as the preferred course.
- Tone can make best最好 friendly advice or a warning. It does not always imply a threat or rank as stronger than every or / still还是 suggestion.
Read the full reference: HSK 4 grammar — Adverbs.