超 chāo

Origin & Mnemonic:

To leap over, vault, or overtake while in motion. To surpass, exceed, or go beyond; super or ultra. Run (走) when called (召) and dash past everyone ahead.

Appears in Context 4 stories ↓

Common Usage & Traps

超市 (chāoshì) — supermarket (short for 超级市场)
超好 (chāo hǎo) — super good (casual, texting-friendly)
超快 (chāo kuài) — super fast (casual)
超过 (chāoguò) — to exceed / surpass
超级 (chāojí) — super- (prefix, as in 超级市场)

~~我超他跑得快~~ 我跑得比他快

Chinese compares with 比 (比他快), not by stacking 超 in front of the verb. 超 is not a stand-in for 'than.'
~~我超他 (meaning 'I passed him')~~ 我超过他

As a verb on its own, 超 needs 过 to line up with a person or a number: 超过. Bare 超 usually glues to a following noun, so 超他 sounds unfinished.
~~这个超贵了~~ 这个超贵

超 as a casual 'super' doesn't take 了. If you want the 了, switch to 太...了: 这个太贵了.

Can you say 这个超贵 instead of 这个太贵了?

Yes, with friends — 超 is slangy 'super.' 太...了 is the safe, neutral pick.

Put 超 in front of an adjective and it means 'super' — 超好, 超快, 超贵. It's a young, casual move: everywhere in texting and social posts, odd in a work email. 太...了 means 'too' and fits any setting, from landlord chats to report notes. So 超贵 is fine with friends; at the office, reach for 太贵了 or 非常贵.

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
Casual 'super'	这个超贵	这个超贵了 (超 doesn't take 了 here)
Neutral 'too much'	这个太贵了	这个太贵 (missing 了)
Formal / written	这个非常贵	这个超贵 (too slangy)

Why does 超 mean 'super' in 超市 but 'exceed' in 超过?

超 wears two hats: a 'super' prefix in 超市, and a verb 'to exceed' in 超过.

超市 shortens 超级市场, so this 超 is the 'super' prefix doing the same job as 超级. In 超过, though, 超 is a verb meaning 'go past,' and 过 rounds out the action. Shortcut: 超 + noun often means 'super' (超市, 超级), while 超过 carries the 'exceed' meaning.

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
'Super' prefix + noun	超市, 超级	超市场
Verb 'to exceed'	超过	超过 treated as 'super'
Reading the role	超 in 超市 = super	超 in 超市 = past the market

How do you say 'I'm faster than him' — 我超过他跑得快 or 我跑得比他快?

Use 比 for comparisons: 我跑得比他快. 超过 means 'to overtake,' not 'than.'

超过 is a verb — it means physically or numerically going past something: 超过一百人 (more than 100 people), 超过他 (overtake him). It is not a comparison word. To compare two things, Chinese uses 比: A 比 B + adjective. So 'I run faster than him' is 我跑得比他快, and 'I overtook him' is 我超过他了. Different jobs, different words.

Dimension	Natural	Avoid
Comparison ('than')	我跑得比他快	我超过他跑得快
Overtaking (verb)	我超过他了	我比他超了
Numbers	超过一百人	比一百人多 (fine, but different focus)

Appears in Stories 4 stories

《很贵的苹果》 The Expensive Apples

HSK 1 ~2 min read 137 chars

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This short, simple story follows a shopper's trip to the supermarket to buy apples. You'll learn useful vocabulary for shopping, prices, and comparing things.

今天白天的时候，我去我家这边的超市买东西。
我看见超市有大苹果，也有小苹果。
我问超市的人小苹果怎么样？
我问超市的人那两个苹果是哪里的？

《这个苹果不是中国苹果》 Six Apples, Two Origins

HSK 1 ~1 min read 66 chars

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In this easy story, you will follow a simple trip to the supermarket to buy apples. Practice numbers, question words, and nationalities in a real-life shopping context.

今天去超市买东西。
我问超市的人那三个苹果是哪里的？

《电脑没脑子》 Computers Have No Brains

HSK 1 ~1 min read 76 chars

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This playful poem will make you smile as you explore how Chinese words like 'computer' and 'phone' can be funnier than they seem. Get ready to enjoy simple HSK 1 vocabulary and a twist of logic!

超市非常小，电脑没脑子，电话不能打。

《一到十二月》 Twelve Months of Love

HSK 1 ~2 min read 108 chars

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Welcome! This short poem helps you practice the months, weekdays, and mealtimes in Chinese. Read it aloud and notice the rhythm. You already know many of these words!

星期日和天，日日和爱人，超市买菜米，回家做饭忙。

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