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拾級而上

简拾级而上 · 繁拾級而上

Mandarin · pinyin shè jí ér shàng

to walk slowly up a flight of steps (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

拾: shí · pick up, collect, tidy up; accounting form of the numeral ten
級: jí · level, rank, class; grade
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
上: shàng · top; superior, highest; go up, send up
级: jí · level, rank, class; grade

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–2–4 · she4 ji2 er2 shang4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

拾級而上 · find source passages ↗ · 拾级而上 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to walk slowly up a flight of steps

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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