级 (jí) — level, grade, rank; (classifier) used for steps, levels, and grades
Definition
级 covers two distinct senses: as a noun it means a level or grade in a scale (e.g. salary grades, difficulty level); as a measure word it counts steps. For abstract levels of quality or status, 等级 (HSK 6) is the more common compound.
noun
levelgraderank
classifier
used for stepslevelsand grades
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 级。Zhè ge lóu tī yǒu èr shí jí.This staircase has twenty steps.
- 。Tā de hàn yǔ yǐ jīng dá dào gāo jí.His Chinese has reached an advanced level.
- 级。Zhè ge gōng sī de gōng zī yǒu wǔ jí.This company's salary has five grades.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
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.
Appears in
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