Keywords: 提高, tígāo, how to say improve in Chinese, raise in Chinese, enhance in Chinese, Chinese verb for improvement, improve Chinese level, improve skills, tígāo shuǐpíng, tígāo xiàolǜ, HSK 4 vocabulary.
Summary: Learn how to use 提高 (tígāo), the essential Chinese verb meaning 'to improve,' 'to raise,' or 'to enhance.' This guide is perfect for beginners wanting to express personal growth and progress. Discover how to talk about improving your skills, raising standards, or enhancing efficiency in Chinese. We'll explore the cultural significance of self-improvement in China and provide dozens of practical examples, from boosting your HSK score with tígāo to raising your quality of life, making this a cornerstone of your vocabulary.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): tígāo
Part of Speech: Verb
HSK Level: HSK 4
Concise Definition: To raise, increase, or enhance something, typically an abstract quality, level, or standard.
In a Nutshell: Think of 提高 (tígāo) as actively “lifting something higher.” It’s not just about things getting better on their own; it implies a conscious effort to raise something from a lower point to a higher one. This “something” is usually abstract, like your language ability (水平, shuǐpíng), work efficiency (效率, xiàolǜ), or awareness (意识, yìshí). It's a goal-oriented word that signifies measurable progress.
Character Breakdown
提 (tí): This character means “to lift” or “to carry.” The left part is the hand radical (扌), indicating an action done with the hand. The right part (是) primarily provides the phonetic sound. So, 提 is fundamentally about lifting something up.
高 (gāo): This character is a pictogram of a tall, multi-story building or pagoda. It simply means “high” or “tall.”
The combination is beautifully logical: 提 (to lift) + 高 (high) = 提高 (to lift high; to raise; to improve).
Cultural Context and Significance
The Pursuit of Progress:提高 is more than just a verb in China; it's a cultural imperative. Chinese society places immense value on continuous self-improvement, education, and collective progress. From a young age, children are encouraged to 提高 their grades. As adults, the focus shifts to 提高 one's skills, professional standing, and quality of life. This concept is a driving force behind the nation's rapid development and the intense personal drive seen in many individuals.
Collective vs. Individual Improvement: While in the West, “personal growth” can be a very individualistic pursuit, 提高 in a Chinese context often carries a collective dimension. One strives to 提高 their abilities not just for themselves, but to bring honor to their family, contribute to their company's success, and participate in the nation's overall progress (提高人民生活水平 - raising the people's standard of living). It's about elevating one's position within a larger social framework, not just personal fulfillment.
Practical Usage in Modern China
In the Workplace and Business: This is one of the most common words in a professional setting. It's used constantly in meetings, reports, and company goal-setting.
`提高效率 (tígāo xiàolǜ)` - to improve efficiency
`提高产品质量 (tígāo chǎnpǐn zhìliàng)` - to improve product quality
`提高服务水平 (tígāo fúwù shuǐpíng)` - to raise the level of service
In Education and Personal Development: For any student of any subject, 提高 is the goal.
`提高汉语水平 (tígāo Hànyǔ shuǐpíng)` - to improve (one's) Chinese level
`提高成绩 (tígāo chéngjì)` - to improve grades
`提高自己的能力 (tígāo zìjǐ de nénglì)` - to enhance one's own abilities
In Public Life and Health: The term is frequently used in public service announcements and health campaigns.
`提高安全意识 (tígāo ānquán yìshí)` - to raise safety awareness
`提高免疫力 (tígāo miǎnyìlì)` - to boost immunity
Formality:提高 is a neutral-to-formal term. It's perfectly suitable for both everyday conversation about personal goals and for formal business presentations. It always carries a positive connotation of progress and development.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
为了找到更好的工作，我必须提高我的英语水平。
Pinyin: Wèile zhǎodào gèng hǎo de gōngzuò, wǒ bìxū tígāo wǒ de Yīngyǔ shuǐpíng.
English: In order to find a better job, I must improve my English level.
Analysis: A classic example of using 提高 for skill development. The object is a “level” (水平), which is a perfect fit for the verb.
English: To ensure safety, drivers need to raise their alertness at all times.
Analysis: 提高警惕 (tígāo jǐngtì) is a set phrase meaning “to be on high alert” or “to heighten one's vigilance.”
Example 10:
他的中文水平提高得很快。
Pinyin: Tā de Zhōngwén shuǐpíng tígāo de hěn kuài.
English: His Chinese level has improved very quickly.
Analysis: This shows a common grammatical structure where the object (中文水平) becomes the subject, and a complement of degree (得很快) is added after the verb.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
`提高 (tígāo)` vs. `改善 (gǎishàn)`: This is the most common point of confusion.
提高 (tígāo) is for raising something on a scale (level, quality, number, standard). Think vertical movement: low → high.
改善 (gǎishàn) is for making a bad, difficult, or unsatisfactory situation better. Think horizontal change: bad → good.
Correct:提高我的汉语水平。(My Chinese level wasn't necessarily “bad,” but I'm raising it.)
Incorrect: 改善我的汉语水平。
Correct:改善我们之间的关系。(Our relationship was not good, and we're making it better.)
Incorrect: 提高我们之间的关系。
Transitive Verb Requirement: In English, you can say “I'm improving.” In Chinese, 提高 needs an object. You cannot just say “我提高了.” It sounds incomplete. You must specify what you improved.
Incorrect: 我每天学习，所以我提高了。
Correct: 我每天学习，所以我的中文提高了。(My Chinese has improved.)
Correct: 我每天学习，提高了我的中文水平。(I have improved my Chinese level.)
Related Terms and Concepts
改善 (gǎishàn) - To improve a situation or condition (that was previously bad); a key term to distinguish from 提高.
提升 (tíshēng) - A more formal synonym for 提高. Often used for promotions (提升职位) or elevating something to a new, higher plane (提升品牌形象).
进步 (jìnbù) - To make progress (verb) or progress (noun). It's intransitive. You can say “你进步了!” (You've made progress!), but you don't say “你进步了你的中文”.
增加 (zēngjiā) - To increase in number or quantity. Use this for countable things, like “increase the number of employees” (增加员工), not for abstract levels.
发展 (fāzhǎn) - To develop or grow. This is much broader, referring to economic development, personal development over a lifetime, or the plot of a story.
水平 (shuǐpíng) - Level; standard. The most common object of the verb 提高.
效率 (xiàolǜ) - Efficiency. Another very common object for 提高.
质量 (zhìliàng) - Quality. A key metric that is often the object of 提高 in business and manufacturing.