About
The character for "step" or "rank" originated from the traditional form "階", which is composed of the semantic component "阜", denoting an earthen mound or elevation, and the phonetic component "皆". This structure conceptually reflects built steps or terraces ascending a slope. Its earliest meanings were concrete, referring to architectural features like stairways or tiered platforms. Over time, the term naturally extended into more abstract social and hierarchical domains, signifying official ranks, grades, or levels within a system, paralleling the metaphorical idea of ascending a staircase of status or progression. The modern simplified form "阶" retains the "阜" component in its left-side radical form and replaces the complex phonetic with the simpler "介", which also carries connotations of intermediary steps or layers, thus preserving the core concept of graduated levels.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
请小心这些台阶。
我们处于准备阶段。
知识是进步的阶梯。
社会有不同的阶层。
这项任务分两个阶段完成。
他一步步地登上权力的阶梯。
这个理论源于特定的历史阶段。
分析社会必须考虑其阶级结构。