The word **初级** (chūjí), meaning "elementary," "primary," or "junior," is a standard **modifier-head compound** formed by combining two meaningful characters: **初** (chū), which conveys the idea of "initial," "first," or "beginning," and **级** (jí), which means "level" or "grade." In this grammatical structure, the first character **初** modifies and describes the second character **级**, precisely specifying it as the "beginning level." This formation is highly productive in Chinese, similar to how "primary" modifies "level" in English, resulting in a fixed, concise term for a fundamental stage or rank.