国宝级 (guó bǎo jí) — (adjective) national-treasure-level; top-tier; of the highest quality or value

Definition

Used as a vivid intensifier meaning 'national-treasure-level' — applied to people, objects, or works to praise them as the very finest in their category (e.g. 国宝级演员, 国宝级文物). It is a colloquial/journalistic label, not a literal rank.

adjective
national-treasure-leveltop-tierof the highest quality or value

Examples

  • 国宝级。
    Zhè wèi guó bǎo jí yǎn yuán huò dé le zhōng shēn chéng jiù jiǎng.
    This national-treasure-level actor won a lifetime achievement award.
  • 国宝级。
    Bó wù guǎn shōu cáng le yì pī guó bǎo jí wén wù.
    The museum has collected a batch of top-tier cultural relics.
  • 国宝级。
    Tā shì yí wèi guó bǎo jí shū fǎ jiā.
    He is a calligrapher of the highest standard.

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.

国宝national treasure
国guócountry宝bǎotreasure
偏正Modifier + head
级jílevel

国宝 (national treasure) sets the 级 (level) being spoken of, meaning top-tier.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 寶; 宝 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 琡琡chùjade
  • 貝貝bèicowry

The traditional form 寶 shows 宀 (house), 琡 (jade), and 貝 (cowry), drawn together as treasures in a house.

Open 宝 →

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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