一流

• Pinyin: yī liú
• Hanzi breakdown: 一 = a single horizontal stroke meaning 'one'; 流 = 氵 (water) + 㐬 — flow, stream, class

Meaning

First-class; top-notch; first-rate. The highest level of quality or excellence.

Used to describe anything of the highest standard: 一流大学 (top university), 一流服务 (first-class service), 一流人才 (top talent). Can be both a noun (the top tier) and an adjective (top-quality).

Examples

1. 这家餐厅的菜品绝对是一流的。 The dishes at this restaurant are absolutely first-class.
2. 她毕业于一流大学，工作能力很强。 She graduated from a top university and has strong work abilities.
3. 我们的目标是打造一流的产品。 Our goal is to create first-rate products.

Usage Guide

Context: quality, ranking, praise

Tone: appreciative

Do Say

• 这是一流的服务。(This is first-class service.)
• 他是一流的专家。(He is a top expert.)

Don't Say

• 说'一流地失败了'表示彻底失败 (Don't use 一流 for failures — it's specifically for excellence; for complete failure, use 彻底 or 完全)

Origin & History

一 (one, first) + 流 (class, flow, stream). Together meaning the first/top class or tier.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal