级 (jí) is a Chinese character meaning “level”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 及 (reach; extend to), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “level; grade”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 及
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 級，絲次弟也。从糸及聲
Memory aid
Silk thread (纟) on the left, 及 "to reach" on the right — threads sorted one rank after another, each step reaching up to the next: a level, a grade.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 升级shēng jíto upgrade; to move up a level级 = jí
- 丙级bǐng jígrade C; third class级 = jí
- 晋级jìn jíto advance to a higher level; to go through to the next round级 = jí
- 班级bān jíclass (in school); grade级 = jí
Go deeper
All readings
level; grade
level; grade; rank; a step of a staircase; classifier for steps and grades
等次、等第；台阶。也作量词，用于台阶或等级。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 升级shēng jíto upgrade; to move up a level级 = jí
- 丙级bǐng jígrade C; third class级 = jí
- 晋级jìn jíto advance to a higher level; to go through to the next round级 = jí
- 班级bān jíclass (in school); grade级 = jí
Sound component
及 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 级 mean?
级 (jí) means level; grade; rank; a step of a staircase; classifier for steps and grades.
How do you pronounce 级?
It is pronounced jí.
What parts is 级 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 及 (reach; extend to), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 級，絲次弟也。从糸及聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 级 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 级?
纟. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 级?
Common ones are 升级 and 丙级. The reading of 级 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.