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初等 (chū děng) — elementary, basic (level, education)

Definition

初等 means 'elementary' in formal/educational contexts (e.g. 初等教育, 初等数学). 初级 is the more colloquial choice; 基本 is broader ('basic/fundamental') and not tied to a school level.

adjective
elementarybasic (level, education)

Examples

  • 初等。
    chū děng Jiào yù shì měi gè hái zi de qǐ diǎn.
    Elementary education is the starting point for every child.
  • 初等。
    Zhè běn shū shì chū děng shuǐ píng de kè běn.
    This book is an elementary-level textbook.
  • 初等。
    Tā zhèng zài xué xí chū děng shù xué hé wù lǐ.
    He is studying elementary math and physics.

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.

初chūfirst
等děnggrade

初 means early or elementary, and 等 means grade; together it describes an elementary level.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Open 初 →

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
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.

Open 等 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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