之一 (zhīyī): How to Say “One of” in Chinese

Why this trips learners up

To say something is “one of” a group in Chinese, you append 之一 to the end of a noun phrase: Subject + 是 + [Noun Phrase] + 之一. 她是我最好的朋友之一 (“she is one of my best friends”), 他是这家公司的创始人之一 (“he is one of the founders of this company”). Here’s the twist for English speakers: English leads with “one of” (“one of my best friends”), but Chinese builds the whole noun phrase first and hangs 之一 on the very end (“[my best friend] one-of”).

Most of the time the noun phrase is a superlative, 最…的, so 之一 gives you “one of the most…”: 上海是世界上最大的城市之一 (“Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world”), 春节是中国最重要的节日之一 (“Spring Festival is one of China’s most important festivals”). You don’t need a superlative, though, 他是创始人之一 works fine, but 最…的…之一 is the pattern you’ll meet most.

There’s a second frame where the 之一 phrase is itself the subject: [Noun Phrase] + 之一 + 是…, “one of the … is …”: 我不想去的原因之一是天气太冷 (“one of the reasons I don’t want to go is that it’s too cold”). Either way, remember that 之一 means “one of many,” so the set has to be genuinely plural, you have only one father, so 他是我爸爸之一 is nonsense.

Two notes. The 之 in 之一 is the old literary genitive (roughly the classical ancestor of 的), so 之一 is a fixed phrase you memorize whole, not something you build. And because 之一 quietly turns “the best” into “one of the best,” Chinese has a famous joke: say the superlative, pause, then add 之一, 你是我最喜欢的老师……之一 (“you’re my favorite teacher… well, one of them”). Quick guide: build the noun phrase first, then land 之一 at the end.

The structure

Subject 是 shì Object 之一 zhī yī

Colour key

Each colour marks one grammatical role — and the same colour means the same role on every page in the Lab.

Pattern Subject Verb Object Place Adverb Function word Adjective Other

Examples in context

Real-world sentences, easiest first. Toggle pinyin or the translation, tap any word to see its role, or play the audio.

Tap a word to see its grammatical role.

tā 她 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ 我 Other zuì 最 Adverb hǎo 好 Adjective de 的 Function word péngyou 朋友 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

She is one of my best friends (最好的朋友之一, a superlative noun phrase).

zhè 这 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ 我 Other zuì 最 Adverb xǐhuan 喜欢 Verb de 的 Function word diànyǐng 电影 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

This is one of my favorite movies (最喜欢的电影之一).

shànghǎi 上海 Subject shì 是 Verb shìjiè shàng 世界上 Place zuì 最 Adverb dà 大 Adjective de 的 Function word chéngshì 城市 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world (世界上最大的城市之一).

tā 他 Subject shì 是 Verb zhè jiā gōngsī de 这家公司的 Other chuàngshǐrén 创始人 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

He is one of the founders of this company (创始人之一, no superlative needed).

chūnjié 春节 Subject shì 是 Verb Zhōngguó 中国 Other zuì 最 Adverb zhòngyào 重要 Adjective de 的 Function word jiérì 节日 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

Spring Festival is one of China’s most important festivals (最重要的节日之一).

wǒ bù xiǎng qù de 我不想去的 Other yuányīn 原因 Subject zhī yī 之一 Pattern shì 是 Verb tiānqì tài lěng 天气太冷 Object

One of the reasons I don’t want to go is that it’s too cold (原因之一是…, the second frame).

nǐ 你 Subject shì 是 Verb wǒ 我 Other zuì 最 Adverb xǐhuan 喜欢 Verb de 的 Function word lǎoshī 老师 Object ... …… Other zhī yī 之一 Pattern

You’re my favorite teacher… well, one of them (the 之一 joke, pausing before 之一).

zhè cì bǐsài 这次比赛 Subject shì 是 Verb tā yìshēng zhōng 他一生中 Other zuì 最 Adverb nánwàng 难忘 Adjective de 的 Function word jīnglì 经历 Object zhī yī 之一 Pattern

That competition was one of the most unforgettable experiences of his life (最难忘的经历之一).

Common mistakes

Avoid: 她是我之一最好的朋友。 tā shì wǒ zhī yī zuì hǎo de péngyou.

Say this: 她是我最好的朋友之一。 tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou zhī yī.

Why it happens: 之一 goes at the very end of the noun phrase, not inside it. “One of my best friends” is 我最好的朋友之一, not 我之一最好的朋友. Build the whole phrase (最好的朋友) first, then append 之一.

Avoid: 他是我爸爸之一。 tā shì wǒ bàba zhī yī.

Say this: 他是我爸爸。 tā shì wǒ bàba.

Why it happens: 之一 means “one of many,” so the set has to be genuinely plural. You only have one father, so 他是我爸爸之一 is nonsense; it’s just 他是我爸爸. Use 之一 only when there really is a group to be one of.

Avoid: 纽约是一个世界上最国际化的城市。 Niǔyuē shì yí gè shìjiè shàng zuì guójìhuà de chéngshì.

Say this: 纽约是世界上最国际化的城市之一。 Niǔyuē shì shìjiè shàng zuì guójìhuà de chéngshì zhī yī.

Why it happens: “One of the most…” is 最…的 + Noun + 之一, not 一个最…的. 最 means “the most” (the single top), which clashes with 一个 (“a / one”), so 一个最国际化的城市 is wrong. To say “a” top-ranked one, append 之一: 最国际化的城市之一.

Compare & contrast

最…的 + Noun: THE most (the one)	最…的 + Noun + 之一: ONE OF the most	The difference
她是我最好的朋友tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou = “she is my best friend” (the one)	她是我最好的朋友之一tā shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou zhī yī = “she is one of my best friends” (one of several)	她是我最好的朋友 = “she is my best friend,” the single one. 她是我最好的朋友之一 = “she is one of my best friends,” one of several. Adding 之一 drops the exclusivity, which is the whole joke.
这是最好的办法zhè shì zuì hǎo de bànfǎ = “this is the best way”	这是最好的办法之一zhè shì zuì hǎo de bànfǎ zhī yī = “this is one of the best ways”	这是最好的办法 = “this is the best way.” 这是最好的办法之一 = “this is one of the best ways.” Same superlative, but 之一 says there are others.

Rule of thumb之一 appends to the end of a noun phrase to mean “one of” a plural set: Subject + 是 + [Noun Phrase] + 之一. Stack it on a superlative (最…的) for “one of the most…”. Because it turns “the best” into “one of the best,” pausing before it (最好的朋友…之一) is a classic Chinese joke. Build the noun phrase first, then land 之一.

Try it yourself

Say “He is one of the founders of this company.” Build the noun phrase, then append 之一: 他是这家公司的创始人之一.

Related patterns

Quick reference card

How to Say “One of” with 之一 (zhīyī) grammar.merrymandarin.com

A pocket summary — print it and keep it by your desk.

Structure

Subject + 是 + Object + 之一

Example

她是我最好的朋友之一

She is one of my best friends (最好的朋友之一, a superlative noun phrase).

Watch out

✗ 她是我之一最好的朋友。 → ✓ 她是我最好的朋友之一。