统治阶级 (tǒng zhì jiē jí) — ruling class

Definition

noun
ruling class

Examples

  • ，统治阶级。
    Zài fēng jiàn shè huì, tǒng zhì jiē jí yóu dì zhǔ hé guì zú gòu chéng.
    In feudal society, the ruling class was made up of landowners and nobles.
  • 统治阶级。
    Mǎ kè sī zhǔ yì rèn wéi tǒng zhì jiē jí zǒng shì wéi hù zì jǐ de lì yì.
    Marxism holds that the ruling class always protects its own interests.
  • 统治阶级。
    Lì shǐ shàng tǒng zhì jiē jí de gēng tì wǎng wǎng bàn suí zhe jù liè de shè huì biàn gé.
    In history, the replacement of the ruling class often accompanies dramatic social change.

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.

统治rule
统tǒnggovern治zhìgovern
联合Side by side
阶级class
阶jiētier级jígrade
联合Side by side

统治 (rule) identifies the 阶级 (class) that governs, with 阶 and 级 both ranking tiers.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 統; 统 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.

Open 统 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
台
台tái治zhì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

治 has 水 (water) and 台; 台 gives the sound, and the character named a river.

Open 治 →

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 階; 阶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
皆
皆jiē階jiē
Same sound today

The traditional form 階 uses 阝 (written in full as 阜) to relate to its meaning and 皆 to show its sound; the simplified 阶 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 阶 →

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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