TongTong
Sign in

低年级 (dī nián jí) — lower grades (of a school), junior years

Definition

Refers to the earlier grades of primary or middle school (typically grades 1–3 in Chinese schools). Contrasts with 高年级, the upper grades of the same school.

noun
lower grades (of a school)junior years

Examples

  • 低年级。
    dī nián jí De xué shēng xū yào gèng duō de bāng zhù.
    Students in the lower grades need more help.
  • 低年级。
    Tā zài dī nián jí jiào yǔ wén.
    She teaches Chinese in the lower grades.
  • 低年级。
    Zhè běn shū shì hé dī nián jí de hái zi kàn.
    This book is suitable for children in the lower grades.

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.

低dīlow
年级school grade
年niányear级jílevel
偏正Modifier + head

“低” (low) and “年级” (school grade) refer to lower school grades.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénman, person
Sound part声符shēngfú
氐
氐dī低dī
Same sound today

In 低, the left side 亻 is a person, and the right side 氐 gives the sound; the image is a person lowering or bowing themselves.

Open 低 →

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
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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
School & Education

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