Nothing surpasses / best of all (莫过于)

Structure Topic + 莫过于 + the thing that tops it

莫过于 (mòguòyú) is a literary superlative: "nothing surpasses…", "the best/worst… is…". You first state a topic (人生乐事 "life's pleasures", 最痛苦的事 "the most painful thing") and then, after 莫过于, the thing that tops it: 人生乐事莫过于此 = "no pleasure in life surpasses this". 莫 keeps its literary sense of "nothing/no one" (mò) and 过于 means "to exceed". It belongs to essays and polished prose; in speech one would say 最…的就是… or 没有比…更…的.

Examples

人rén生shēng乐lè事shì，莫mò过guò于yú此cǐ。
Of life's pleasures, none surpasses this.
最zuì令lìng人rén欣xīn慰wèi的de，莫mò过guò于yú看kàn到dào学xué生shēng有yǒu所suǒ成chéng就jiù。
Nothing is more gratifying than seeing one's students achieve something.
读dú书shū之zhī乐lè，莫mò过guò于yú豁huò然rán开kāi朗lǎng的de那nà一yī刻kè。
In the joy of reading, nothing surpasses the moment of sudden clarity.
世shì间jiān憾hàn事shì，莫mò过guò于yú错cuò失shī良liáng机jī。
Of the world's regrets, none surpasses letting a good chance slip away.

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