中产阶级 (zhōng chǎn jiē jí) — middle class (as a social class)

Definition

Sociological term for the 'middle class' as a socioeconomic stratum, contrasted with the wealthy and working class. The four-character word 阶级 emphasizes class as a social/political grouping, while 中产 is a shorter spoken form.

noun
middle class (as a social class)

Examples

  • ，中产阶级。
    Suí zhe jīng jì fā zhǎn, zhōng chǎn jiē jí de guī mó bú duàn kuò dà.
    With economic development, the size of the middle class continues to expand.
  • 中产阶级。
    zhōng chǎn jiē jí De xiāo fèi guān niàn zhèng zài fā shēng biàn huà.
    The consumption attitudes of the middle class are changing.
  • 中产阶级.。
    Xǔ duō zhōng chǎn jiē jí jiā tíng kāi shǐ zhòng shì hái zi de jiào yù..
    Many middle-class families have started to value their children's education.

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.

中产middle wealth
中zhōngmiddle产chǎnproperty
偏正Modifier + head
阶级class
阶jiērank级jígrade
联合Side by side

中产 names middle wealth and 阶级 names a social rank, together the middle class.

Characters in this word

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

The original picture showed a flagpole with a drum in the middle, set up in the center of a field.

Open 中 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →

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.

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.

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
Society & Public Life

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.