高等 (gāo děng) — (adjective) advanced; higher; high-level | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Usually modifies education, animals, or math (higher education, higher animals, advanced). 高级 is broader for 'advanced/high-level'; 高端 and 高层 refer to luxury goods or top management.

adjective

advancedhigherhigh-level

Examples

高等。
gāo děng Shù xué zhè mén kè hěn nán.
The course Advanced Math is very difficult.
。
gāo děng Jiào yù duì gè rén fā zhǎn hěn zhòng yào.
Higher education is very important for personal development.
高等。
gāo děng Dòng wù bāo kuò rén lèi hé hóu zi.
Higher animals include humans and monkeys.

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.

高 (high) and 等 (level) combine to mean high-level or advanced.

Characters in this word

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

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

竹寺等

Meaning part形符xíngfú

竹竹zhúbamboo

Sound part声符shēngfú

寺

寺sì等děng

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

The top 竹 shows bamboo strips used for writing and sorting; the bottom 寺 once gave the sound, but now sounds different.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 6

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