资产阶级 (zī chǎn jiē jí) — the bourgeoisie; the capitalist class; the propertied class

Definition

Marxist term for the owning class that holds capital and the means of production, contrasted in theory with 无产阶级 ('proletariat', the propertyless workers).

noun
the bourgeoisiethe capitalist classthe propertied class

Examples

  • ，资产阶级。
    Zài gōng yè gé mìng shí qī, zī chǎn jiē jí zhú jiàn xīng qǐ.
    During the Industrial Revolution, the bourgeoisie gradually rose.
  • ，资产阶级。
    Mǎ kè sī zhǔ yì rèn wéi, zī chǎn jiē jí hé wú chǎn jiē jí zhī jiān de máo dùn shì bù kě tiáo hé de.
    Marxism believes that the contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is irreconcilable.
  • ，资产阶级。
    Gǎi gé kāi fàng hòu, zhōng guó de zī chǎn jiē jí dé dào le fā zhǎn.
    After the reform and opening-up, China's bourgeoisie developed.

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.

资产property/capital
资zīcapital/resources产chǎnproperty
联合Side by side
阶级class
阶jiērank/step级jígrade
联合Side by side

资产 (property/capital) and 阶级 (class) together mean the property-owning class.

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 資; 资 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell-money
Sound part声符shēngfú
次
次cì資zī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 資 puts 次 above 貝, a shell-money sign, to write property or resource; 次 supplies the sound. The simplified 资 is a shorthand, so do not treat its parts as historical.

Open 资 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.