提高
to raise; to improve; to lift
tígāo
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 breakdown
to lift; to raise; to carry by hand
high; tall
Memory hook: 提 'lift' + 高 'high' = lift it higher — improve, raise.
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
Synonyms
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 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 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
Don't confuse 提高 with
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.'
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