次等 (cì děng) — second-class, second-rate, inferior

Definition

noun

second-classsecond-rateinferior

次等，。
Zhè xiē shuǐ guǒ shì cì děng, suǒ yǐ bǐ jiào pián yi.
These fruits are second-class, so they are relatively cheap.
次等。
cì děng De cái liào tōng cháng yòng lái zuò pǔ tōng jiā jù.
Second-class materials are usually used to make ordinary furniture.
次等，。
Tā mǎi de suī rán shì cì děng, dàn zhì liàng hái kě yǐ.
Although what he bought is second-class, the quality is still okay.

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.

次 gives the second or lower rank, and 等 gives a grade, so the word means second-class or inferior.

Characters in this word

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

The old form of 次 shows a person exhaling, with the marks above the figure representing breath.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

竹寺等

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.