同级 (tóng jí) — (attributive) of the same grade, level, or rank

Definition

Used as an attributive meaning 'of the same grade/level/rank' — applies to people (classmates), institutions (peer companies), or ranks (peer officials). The pattern 是同级 的 marks both sides as equal in standing, not just similar in appearance.

adjective
(attributive) of the same gradelevelor rank

Examples

  • 同级，。
    Tā men liǎ shì tóng jí de, dōu zài sān nián jí.
    They are both in the same grade, both in third grade.
  • 同级，。
    Tā hé wǒ bà ba shì tóng jí de, dōu shì jīng lǐ.
    He and my father are at the same level, both managers.
  • 同级，。
    Zhè liǎng jiā gōng sī shì tóng jí de, guī mó yí yàng dà.
    These two companies are at the same level, same scale.

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.

同tóngsame
级jígrade

同 means same and 级 means grade or level; together they describe something at the same level.

Characters in this word

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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 →

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