阶级
jiējí · HSK 7
social class
🪜 阶 step/stair + 级 rank/grade = the rungs of social class
级 — silk radical 纟 + 及 jí (phonetic)
级 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The silk radical 纟 originally referred to threads or the steps/ranks of silk cords used to mark official grades. The right side 及 (jí) supplies the sound. Over time the meaning shifted from 'cord-marked rank' to general 'level, grade, class.'