high-level; advanced; high-end
HSK level
高级 is written with 16 strokes (高: 10, 级: 6). The animation replays automatically.
高级 (gāojí) is an adjective meaning 'high-level, advanced, senior, or high-end.'
It spans three related senses: high in rank (高级经理 'senior manager'), advanced in level of skill or study (高级课程 'advanced course,' 高级汉语 'advanced Chinese'), and high in quality or luxury (高级餐厅 'upscale restaurant,' 高级化妆品 'premium cosmetics'). Literally 'high grade,' it evaluates something as being at a superior tier. Two differences from English: first, one word 高级 covers 'advanced' (level), 'senior' (rank), and 'high-end' (luxury), where English uses three separate words — context tells you which.
Second, unlike 'advanced' in English, 高级 also strongly implies expense and prestige, so calling a restaurant 高级 signals it is fancy and pricey, not merely 'advanced.' Its opposite is 低级 (dījí, 'low-grade / vulgar'). Register is neutral and widely used.
Character by character
Memory hook: 高 (high) + 级 (grade) = high grade — advanced, senior, or high-end.
这是一家高级餐厅，很贵。
Zhè shì yì jiā gāojí cāntīng, hěn guì.
This is an upscale restaurant, very expensive.
spoken
他在学高级汉语。
Tā zài xué gāojí Hànyǔ.
He's studying advanced Chinese.
neutral
她是公司的高级经理。
Tā shì gōngsī de gāojí jīnglǐ.
She's a senior manager at the company.
neutral
这个手机看起来很高级。
Zhège shǒujī kàn qǐlái hěn gāojí.
This phone looks very high-end.
spoken
高档 specifically means 'high-end / upscale' about product or venue quality and price (高档商场 'upscale mall'). 高级 is broader — it also covers rank and skill level. For 'expensive and fancy' both work; for 'advanced level' or 'senior rank,' use 高级.
先进 means 'advanced' in the sense of leading-edge technology or methods (先进技术 'advanced technology'). 高级 means high in grade/rank/quality. A machine is 先进 (cutting-edge); a hotel is 高级 (upscale).
Acquire it by listening
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