现阶段 (xiàn jiē duàn) — current stage; present phase

Definition

noun

current stagepresent phase

Examples

现阶段。
xiàn jiē duàn De zhǔ yào rèn wu shì tí gāo chǎn pǐn zhì liàng.
The main task at the current stage is to improve product quality.
现阶段。
xiàn jiē duàn Wǒ men hái zài jìn xíng shì chǎng diào yán.
At the present stage, we are still conducting market research.
现阶段。
xiàn jiē duàn De jīng jì xíng shì bǐ qù nián hǎo duō le.
The economic situation at the current stage is much better than last year.

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.

现xiàncurrent

阶段stage

阶jiēstep段duànsection

联合Coordinate

现 means current and 阶段 means stage, so the word points to the present stage.

Characters in this word

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 現; 现 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

見

見jiàn現

Same sound today

The traditional form 現 pairs 玉 (jade) with 見 as a sound part; the simplified 现 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 现 →

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 階; 阶 is its simplified writing.

阝皆階

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

皆

皆jiē階jiē

Same sound today

The traditional form 階 uses 阝 (written in full as 阜) to relate to its meaning and 皆 to show its sound; the simplified 阶 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 阶 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú

殳殳shū

Sound part声符shēngfú

厂

厂chǎng段duàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

段's shape shows 殳 as a hammer breaking a stone, with fragments flying off.

Open 段 →

Appears in

Time (Abstract)