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二级 (èr jí) — second class; second level; secondary

Definition

A grading noun meaning 'level 2' or 'secondary grade', used to rank things on a scale (exams, markets, proficiency). Below 一级 and above 三级.

noun
second classsecond levelsecondary

Examples

  • 二级。
    Tā tōng guò le èr jí kǎo shì.
    He passed the Level 2 exam.
  • 二级。
    Zhè kuǎn chǎn pǐn shǔ yú èr jí shì chǎng.
    This product belongs to the secondary market.
  • 二级。
    Wǒ men de mù biāo shì dá dào èr jí shuǐ píng.
    Our goal is to reach Level 2 proficiency.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

二èrsecond
级jíclass

二 gives the order 'second', and 级 names a class or level, so it means second class.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 級; 级 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí級jí
Same sound today

The traditional form 級 has 糹 (thread) and 及 as a sound part; its original sense was a sequence related to silk. The simplified 级 is a later shorthand.

Open 级 →
Appears in
Numbers & CountingOrder & Arrangement

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