HSK 5 · Adjectives
初级 chūjí “elementary” in Chinese
Traditional 初級
What 初级 means
- elementary
- beginner (level)
- primary
- junior
How to say 初级
初chū1st tone, high and level
级jí2nd tone, rising
初级 in a sentence
How 初级 is built
Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

初chūat first; initially
- 衤clothes form of 衣 · yī
- 刀knife · dāo

级jílevel
- 纟silk form of 糸 · mìMeaning part
- 及to extend · jíSound part
纟 hints at the meaning (silk); 及 (jí) hints at the sound. Compare it with jí.
How to write 初级
初 7 strokes · 级 6 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

Words related to 初级
Words with 初
初中chūzhōng · junior high school最初zuìchū · at first当初dāngchū · originally起初qǐchū · at first初步chūbù · initial
Words with 级
年级niánjí · grade班级bānjí · class (of students)超级chāojí · super高级gāojí · high level上级shàngjí · superior等级děngjí · grade级别jíbié · level
More words: Adjectives
FAQs
初级 (chūjí) means “elementary” or “beginner (level)”. It is an HSK 5 word.
Say it chūjí: chū with a 1st tone, then jí with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 初级 is written 初級. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type chuji with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 初级 from the suggestions. Typing chuji into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
初级 is an HSK 5 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.