Definition
晋级 (jìn jí) means 'to advance to a higher level' — it's used for competitions, ranks, or professional grades. Unlike 升级 (shēng jí), which can also mean 'to upgrade a product' or 'to escalate a conflict', 晋级 is strictly about moving up in a structured hierarchy (e.g., tournament rounds, job titles). It's more specific than 升 (shēng) 'to rise' and less formal than 晋升 (jìn shēng) 'to be promoted' (which focuses on official job promotions).
verb
to advance to a higher levelto be promoted (in rank or competition)
Easily confused
- 紧急jǐn jísound-alikeurgent, pressing, critical
- 禁忌jìn jìsound-alike(noun) taboo, a social or cultural prohibition
Examples
- 晋级。Tā tōngguò nǔlì jìn jí dào le jīnglǐ de wèizhì.He advanced to the position of manager through hard work.
- ，晋级。Zài zhè cì bǐsài zhōng, zhǐ yǒu qián sān míng cáinéng jìn jí.In this competition, only the top three can advance.
- 晋级。Tā chénggōng de cóng chūjí jìn jí wéi gāojí gōngchéngshī.He successfully advanced from junior to senior engineer.
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