階 meaning and stroke order
Stairs, steps; degree, rank
How to write 階, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
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- 11
Meaning of 階
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- rank or step
- stairs
How 階 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hill.
阝 gives the meaning and 皆 hints at the sound.
Radical: 阝 (place), shared by 160 characters on this site.
How to remember 階
The left part 阝 means hill, and 皆 (jiē) gives the sound. Picture steps cut into a hillside so that everyone (皆 means all) can climb up, one level at a time.
階 is the traditional form, and the common words above use the simplified 阶. It appears in words about steps and levels, both physical stairs like 台阶 (táijiē) and social or time levels like 阶级 (jiējí) and 阶段 (jiēduàn). Example: 这个项目还在第一阶段。(Zhège xiàngmù hái zài dì yī jiēduàn.) This project is still in its first stage.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 階 with 楷 (kǎi, model, regular script), which shares the 皆 part but has the tree radical 木 and a different sound. Remember the hill radical 阝 on the left for steps.
Common words with 階
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 階段 | jiēduàn | stage; section | HSK 4 |
| 臺階 | táijiē | steps; flight of steps | HSK 4 |
| 階級 | jiējí | (social) class | HSK 7-9 |
| 階層 | jiēcéng | social class | HSK 7-9 |
| 階梯 | jiētī | flight of steps; (fig.) stepping stone; way to reach the goal of | HSK 7-9 |
| 中產階級 | zhōngchǎnjiējí | middle class | |
| 資產階級 | zīchǎnjiējí | the capitalist class; the bourgeoisie | |
| 工人階級 | gōngrénjiējí | working class | |
| 無產階級 | wúchǎnjiējí | proletariat | |
| 現階段 | xiànjiēduàn | at the present stage |
Questions about 階
How many strokes are in 階?
階 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 階 mean?
階 (jiē) means stairs, steps; degree, rank. A common word with it is 阶段 (jiēduàn), meaning "stage; section".
How do you pronounce 階?
階 is pronounced jiē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 階?
The radical of 階 is 阝, which carries the idea of "place". Dictionaries list 階 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 階?
階 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 阶, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 阶梯 and 楼梯?
楼梯 (lóutī) is the everyday word for a staircase inside a building. 阶梯 (jiētī) also means a flight of steps but is more formal and is often used figuratively for a path to success or for tiered pricing, as in 阶梯电价.
Is 阶级 the same as 阶层?
Both relate to social class. 阶级 (jiējí) has a stronger political and economic sense, as in 工人阶级, while 阶层 (jiēcéng) is a more neutral word for a social stratum or layer.