甲等 (jiǎ děng) — first class, top grade (in a classification sys…

Definition

noun

first classtop grade (in a classification system)

甲等。
Tā zuò de shì jiǎ děng cāng.
He flew first class.
甲等。
Zhè fèn bào gào bèi píng wéi jiǎ děng.
This report was rated first class.
甲等。
Zhè jiā cān tīng de jiǎ děng tào cān hěn guì.
This restaurant's first-class set meal is very expensive.

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.

甲 gives the top rank and 等 gives the grade, naming first class.

Characters in this word

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

甲 is drawn as a hard protective shell, carapace, or scales of an animal, or as armor made of connected plates.

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.