初等

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 初等 (chūděng) means "elementary" or "primary." It is composed of two characters: 初 (chū), meaning "beginning" or "first," and 等 (děng), meaning "class" or "level." Together, these characters convey the idea of something that is at the beginning or basic level of a subject or field.The character 初 (chū) is often used in words related to beginnings or origins. For example, it is used in the word 初始 (chūshǐ), meaning "beginning" or "origin," and in the word 初级 (chūjí), meaning "elementary" or "beginner level."The character 等 (děng) is used in a variety of words related to levels or classes. For example, it is used in the word 等级 (děngjí), meaning "level" or "grade," and in the word 等次 (děngcì), meaning "rank" or "order."When combined, the characters 初 (chū) and 等 (děng) form the word 初等 (chūděng), which specifically refers to the elementary or primary level of education. It is used in contexts such as 初等学校 (chūděng xuéxiào), meaning "elementary school," and 初等数学 (chūděng shùxué), meaning "elementary mathematics."In summary, the Chinese word 初等 (chūděng) is composed of the characters 初 (chū), meaning "beginning" or "first," and 等 (děng), meaning "class" or "level." Together, these characters convey the idea of something that is at the beginning or basic level of a subject or field.