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HSK 3

提高

to raise; to improve; to lift

verbneutral1 episode
提
tí2nd tone
高
gāo1st tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
tígāo
Part of speech
verb
Level
HSK 3
Strokes
22
Register
neutral
In episodes
1

Stroke order for 提高

提高 is written with 22 strokes (提: 12, 高: 10). The animation replays automatically.

What does 提高 mean?

提高 (tígāo) is a transitive verb meaning 'to raise / improve / lift to a higher level.'

It always takes an abstract object — a level, a score, an ability, a price, a standard: 提高水平 ('raise one's level'), 提高成绩 ('improve grades'), 提高效率 ('improve efficiency'). The two characters are literal: 提 'lift' + 高 'high' = lift higher. Key distinction from English: 提高 is for intangible things you can measure on a scale. You do NOT use it for picking up a physical object — that's 拿 (ná) or 举 (jǔ).

The opposite is 降低 (jiàngdī, 'lower / reduce'). A near-synonym is 提升 (tíshēng), which is slightly more formal and often used for promotions and quality. 提高 is the everyday workhorse word.

Character by character

提títo lift; to raise; to carry by hand
+
高gāohigh; tall
=
提高

Memory hook: 提 'lift' + 高 'high' = lift it higher — improve, raise.

Hear 提高 in real episodes

提高 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.

The AI Spending War Escalates: Microsoft and Meta Push Capex Toward Astronomical Numbers提高 spoken at natural speedmedium
Browse the full episode library

Example sentences

我想提高我的汉语水平。

Wǒ xiǎng tígāo wǒ de Hànyǔ shuǐpíng.

I want to improve my Chinese.

neutral

怎么样才能提高成绩？

Zěnmeyàng cáinéng tígāo chéngjì?

How can I improve my grades?

spoken

公司想提高工作效率。

Gōngsī xiǎng tígāo gōngzuò xiàolǜ.

The company wants to improve work efficiency.

neutral

多听多说可以提高口语能力。

Duō tīng duō shuō kěyǐ tígāo kǒuyǔ nénglì.

Listening and speaking more can improve speaking ability.

neutral

他们最近又提高了价格。

Tāmen zuìjìn yòu tígāo le jiàgé.

They've raised prices again recently.

neutral

Common phrases with 提高

提高水平tígāo shuǐpíngraise one's level / proficiency
提高成绩tígāo chéngjìimprove grades
提高效率tígāo xiàolǜimprove efficiency
提高价格tígāo jiàgéraise prices
提高能力tígāo nénglìimprove one's ability

Synonyms

提升tíshēng

提升 is slightly more formal and often used for promotions at work (他被提升为经理) and elevating overall quality. 提高 is the everyday word for raising a number, level, or skill.

改善gǎishàn

改善 means 'to make better / ameliorate,' used for conditions and situations (生活, 关系, 环境). 提高 is for things that move up a measurable scale (level, score, price).

增加zēngjiā

增加 means 'to increase in quantity / add to.' Use 增加 for things you can count (人数, 收入); use 提高 for things you measure on a quality scale (水平, 效率).

Don't confuse 提高 with

提tí

提 alone has many meanings — to lift, to mention (提一下 'mention it'), to bring up (提问 'ask a question'). 提高 is specifically 'raise to a higher level.'

高gāo

高 is the adjective 'high / tall.' 提高 is the verb 'to make higher.' Don't drop 提 when you mean 'improve' — saying 高水平 just describes a high level, not the action of raising it.

拿ná

拿 means 'to pick up / hold' a physical object. To say 'pick up the book,' use 拿书, not 提高书. 提高 is for abstract levels, never physical lifting.

FAQ

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