高峰

• Pinyin: gāo fēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 高 = pictograph of a tall building; 峰 = 山 (mountain) + 夆 (phonetic), meaning peak

Meaning

Peak; summit; high point. Can be literal (mountain peak) or figurative (peak period).

Literally means mountain peak. Figuratively used for: 高峰期 (peak period), 高峰时段/高峰小时 (rush hour), 事业高峰 (career peak), 人流高峰 (peak passenger flow). Common in traffic, economics, and career discussions. Related: 低谷 (valley, low point) as the opposite.

Examples

1. 早晚高峰时段，地铁站里总是人山人海。 During morning and evening rush hours, the subway station is always packed with people.
2. 这位运动员正处于职业生涯的高峰期。 This athlete is at the peak of his career.
3. 游客流量在国庆假期达到了全年的高峰。 Tourist traffic reached its annual peak during the National Day holiday.

Usage Guide

Context: traffic, careers, trends

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 避开高峰时段出行。(Travel outside of rush hour.)
• 他的事业到达了高峰。(His career has reached its peak.)

Don't Say

• 把'高峰'和'巅峰'完全等同 (高峰 is more general; 巅峰 emphasizes the absolute highest point and is more dramatic)

Origin & History

Compound of 高 (high, tall) + 峰 (peak, summit). 峰 combines 山 (mountain) with 夆 (phonetic), depicting a mountain peak.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal