级 jí — level; grade; rank; step
我妹妹上小学三年级。Wǒ mèi mei shàng xiǎo xué sān nián jí.My younger sister is in the third grade of primary school.
Common words: 高级 (gāo jí)、年级 (nián jí)、中级 (zhōng jí)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "step"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "step", including 级 (jí), 阶 (jiē). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "step" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 级 (jí), 阶 (jiē) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span jí, jiē — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 级 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 级 jílevel; grade; rank; stepUseful words: 高级, 年级
- 阶 jiērank or step; stairsUseful words: 阶段, 台阶
Common words for these 2 "step" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 级 (jí) — so "step" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "step".
阶 jiē — rank or step; stairs
他一步步登上了台阶。Tā yí bù bù dēng shàng le tái jiē.He climbed up the steps one by one.
Common words: 阶段 (jiē duàn)、台阶 (tái jiē)、阶层 (jiē céng)
All 2 characters
Open 级、阶 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.