等级

• Pinyin: děng jí
• Hanzi breakdown: 等 (class, grade) + 级 = 纟(silk) + 及 (reach)

Meaning

Grade; rank; level. A position in a hierarchy or scale.

Used for various ranking systems including skill levels, quality grades, social ranks, and difficulty levels. Common in contexts like 等级考试 (graded exam), 会员等级 (membership tier), and 技术等级 (skill level).

Examples

1. 这款游戏有十个不同的难度等级供玩家选择。 This game has ten different difficulty levels for players to choose from.
2. 他的汉语水平已经达到了最高等级。 His Chinese level has reached the highest grade.
3. 酒店按照服务质量分为不同的星级等级。 Hotels are classified into different star ratings based on service quality.

Usage Guide

Context: gaming, education, quality

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你现在是什么等级？(What level are you at now?)
• 产品质量分等级。(Product quality is graded.)

Don't Say

• 谈论社会'等级'时要谨慎——在现代语境中可能暗示不平等 (Be careful when discussing social 等级 — in modern contexts it may imply inequality)

Origin & History

Compound of 等 (class, grade) + 级 (level, grade), both indicating ranking or gradation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal