成績 / 成绩
chéngjì, chéngjī
The English word 'grade' (referring to performance expressed by a number, letter or symbol) is translated into Chinese as 成績 / 成绩 (chéngjì, chéngjī). If unsure, use 成績 / 成绩. Wiktionary also lists 等第 (děngdì).
Meaning: performance expressed by a number, letter, or other symbol (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 成績 / 成绩 | chéngjì, chéngjī |
| 等第 | děngdì |
成績 / 成绩 is the standard term used to describe academic grades or a student's performance in a school setting.
Which one should you use?
成績 / 成绩 is used for academic grades, whereas 等第 refers to a grade in the sense of a classification, rank or level, such as in a quality assessment or a hierarchy.
How do you pronounce it?
chéngjì, chéngjī
Did you know?
- The concept of 'grading' can be expressed as 打分 in informal speech, which literally means 'to hit the points'.
- In traditional Chinese society, academic grades were once tied to the Imperial Examination system, where the 'grade' could determine a person's entire social caste.
- The character 绩 (jì) in 成绩 is often associated with 'merit' or 'achievement' in historical texts. This gives the modern word for 'grade' a much more prestigious and heavy historical weight than the English equivalent.
Examples in context
- 你的成绩怎么样？How are your grades?
- 你这次考试得了多少分？What grade did you get in this exam?
- 我得了80分。I got 80 points.
- 我的分数还可以。My grade is okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grade” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
