Meaning of 初级
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- junior
- primary
How to use 初级
初级 describes the lowest or entry stage of a course, skill, or rank, and it often appears before nouns like 水平 (shuǐpíng) or 班 (bān). It forms a set with 中级 (zhōngjí) and 高级 (gāojí). Example: 我在上初级汉语班。(Wǒ zài shàng chūjí Hànyǔ bān.) I am taking a beginner Chinese class.
初 (chū) means beginning, and 级 (jí) means level or grade. Put them together and you get the beginning level, like the first step on a staircase.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 初 with the 礻 (show) radical instead of 衤 (clothing). The left side of 初 has the extra small stroke of 衤. Also, 级 is second tone (jí), not fourth tone like 记 (jì).
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
初 chū · at first · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
级 jí · level · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 初级.
| 高级 | gāojí | high level; high grade |
| 年级 | niánjí | grade; year (in school, college etc) |
| 中级 | zhōngjí | middle level (in a hierarchy) |
| 超级 | chāojí | super-; ultra- |
| 当初 | dāngchū | at that time; originally |
| 初步 | chūbù | initial; preliminary |
| 初中 | chūzhōng | junior high school (abbr. for 初級中學|初级中学[chu1 ji2 zhong1 xue2]) |
| 班级 | bānjí | class (group of students); grade (in school) |
| 年初 | niánchū | beginning of the year |
| 初一 | chūyī | first year in junior middle school; first day of a lunar month |
| 最初 | zuìchū | first; primary |
| 上级 | shàngjí | higher authorities; superiors |
Questions about 初级
What does 初级 mean?
初级 (chūjí) means "junior; primary" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 初级?
初级 is made of 2 characters: 初 (7 strokes), 级 (6 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 初级 an HSK word?
Yes. 初级 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 初级 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 初级 is written 初級.
What is the difference between 初级 and 初步?
初级 refers to a level or grade, such as a beginner course. 初步 (chūbù) means initial or preliminary and describes the first stage of a process, as in 初步计划 (a preliminary plan).
Can 初级 mean primary school?
Not usually in mainland Chinese. Primary school is 小学 (xiǎoxué). 初级 is used for levels like 初级水平 (beginner level) or 初级阶段 (primary stage).