甲级 (jiǎ jí) — first grade, first class (the highest rank in a classification system)

Definition

Refers to 'Grade A / first class' in a rating or classification system (products, ships, fire safety, etc.). Pairs with 乙级/乙等 (Grade B), 丙级/丙等 (Grade C), etc.

noun
first gradefirst class (the highest rank in a classification system)

Examples

  • 甲级。
    Zhè zuò jiàn zhù wù de fáng huǒ biāo zhǔn shì jiǎ jí.
    The fire safety standard of this building is Class A.
  • 甲级。
    Zhè sōu chuán de chuán jí shǔ yú jiǎ jí.
    This ship's classification is first class.
  • 甲级。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī shēng chǎn de gāng cái shì jiǎ jí chǎn pǐn.
    The steel produced by this company is a Grade A product.

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.

甲jiǎfirst
级jígrade

First and grade combine to mean the highest rank in a classification.

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.

Open 甲 →

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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