How to Write 级 (jí) — Meaning “Level / Grade”

Picture a silk thread (纟) that stretches up to touch a ladder rung, because 及 looks like a hand reaching upward. This helps you connect the silk radical with the idea of 'reaching a level' or grade.

Start with the left radical 纟: write three strokes – a vertical fold, then a horizontal fold, and finally a short upward flick. The right part 及 has three strokes: first a horizontal fold with a hook, then a left-falling stroke, and finally a right-falling stroke. A common mistake is to write 及 with a cross shape instead of the correct hook stroke.

级 has the right component 及 (meaning 'reach'), while 纠 has 丩 (two hooks) and means 'to correct' or 'gather', and 纡 has 于 (yú) meaning 'winding'. Visually, 及 looks like a hand reaching left, whereas 丩 appears as two vertical hooks and 于 is a simple cross shape.

级 is used to express levels or grades, such as 年级 (nián jí, school grade) and 级别 (jí bié, rank). It also appears in 留级 (liú jí, to repeat a grade) – a common term in Chinese schools when students do not meet promotion standards.

Common words containing 级 include: 年级 (nián jí) — Grade; 级别 (jí bié) — Rank / Level; 留级 (liú jí) — To repeat a grade.