Meaning of 级
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- level
- grade
- rank
- step (of stairs)
- classifier: step, level
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 级
级 marks levels, grades, and ranks, and it often appears in compounds like 年级 (niánjí, school year), 高级 (gāojí, advanced), and 超级 (chāojí, super). It also works as a classifier for steps or levels. Example: 我上三年级。(Wǒ shàng sān niánjí.) I am in third grade.
级 has the silk radical 纟 on the left and 及 (jí, to reach) on the right, which also gives the sound. Picture a silk thread with knots tied along it, each knot a level you reach as you climb.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 级 with 极 (jí, extreme), which sounds the same but has the wood radical 木. Write 超级 (chāojí) for super, not 超极, and save 极 for words like 极了 (jíle, extremely).
级 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
级 jí · level · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 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- |
| 班级 | bānjí | class (group of students); grade (in school) |
| 初级 | chūjí | junior; primary |
| 上级 | shàngjí | higher authorities; superiors |
| 等级 | děngjí | grade; rank |
| 升级 | shēngjí | to go up by one grade; to be promoted; to escalate (in intensity) |
| 顶级 | dǐngjí | top-notch; first-rate |
| 级别 | jíbié | (military) rank; level |
| 阶级 | jiējí | (social) class |
Questions about 级
What does 级 mean?
级 (jí) means "level; grade" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 级?
级 is made of 1 character: 级 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 级 an HSK word?
Yes. 级 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 级 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 级 is written 級.
What is the difference between 年级 and 班级?
年级 (niánjí) is the year or grade level, like first grade or second year. 班级 (bānjí) is the specific class group of students within that grade. Students in the same 年级 can belong to different 班级.
Can 级 count stairs?
Yes. As a classifier, 级 counts steps, as in 十级台阶 (shí jí táijiē), ten steps. It is also used for grades of intensity, such as 五级地震 (wǔ jí dìzhèn), a magnitude five earthquake.