梯级 (tī jí) — step (of stairs); stair

Definition

noun
step (of stairs)stair
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 梯级。
    Měi céng lóu yǒu èr shí gè tī jí.
    Each floor has twenty steps.
  • 梯级。
    Tā xiǎo xīn dì zǒu xià shī huá de tī jí.
    He carefully walked down the wet, slippery steps.
  • 梯级。
    Zhè ge dà lóu de tī jí hěn dǒu.
    The steps in this building are very steep.

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.

梯tīladder
级jístep

“梯” (ladder) specifies the kind of “级” (step), giving a stair step.

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
木木mùwood, tree
Sound part声符shēngfú
弟
弟dì梯tī
Same sound today

梯 puts 木 (wood/tree) beside 弟, which gives the sound, to write a wooden ladder.

Open 梯 →

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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