四级 (sì jí) — level 4, grade 4 (in a classification system)

Definition

adjective
level 4grade 4 (in a classification system)

Examples

  • 四级。
    Tā tōng guò le yīng yǔ sì jí kǎo shì.
    He passed the English level 4 exam.
  • 四级。
    Zhè ge kè chéng shì sì jí nán dù.
    This course is level 4 difficulty.
  • 四级。
    Tā de hàn yǔ shuǐ píng shì sì jí.
    His Chinese proficiency is level 4.

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.

四sìfour
级jígrade

四 gives the number, and 级 names the grade or level.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

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 →

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