How to use 之一
Subject + 是 + Group Noun Phrase + 之一
之一 selects one member of a group named before it. Unlike English “one of,” the Chinese expression follows the entire group description. That description may include a possessive, a relative clause, or 最 to identify a highly ranked group. 之一 makes clear that the subject belongs to the group without claiming it is the only member.
A common sentence names the subject, uses 是, and finishes with the group phrase plus 之一. The complete “one of” phrase can also serve as the subject before 是 and an explanation. Make sure the group is logically plural even when Chinese does not mark the noun with a plural ending. No classifier is inserted inside 之一.
Examples with pinyin and English
她是我最好的朋友之一。
She is one of my best friends.
Frozen 是我最喜欢的迪斯尼电影之一。
Frozen is one of my favorite Disney movies.
纽约是世界上最国际化的城市之一。
New York is one of the most international cities in the world.
他是这个公司的创始人之一。
He is one of the founders of this company.
What to remember
- Place 之一 after the complete group phrase.
- It identifies one member, not a unique winner.
- The complete phrase can precede or follow 是.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.