臺階

See also: 台阶 and 台階

Chinese

		(measure word); platform; stage (measure word); platform; stage; terrace; stand; support; desk; station; broadcasting station	rank or step; stairs
trad. (臺階/台階)		臺/台	階
simp. (台阶)		台	阶

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): táijiē

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄝ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): toi⁴ gaai¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): tâi-kai

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: táijiē
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄝ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: táijie
    • Wade–Giles: tʻai²-chieh¹
    • Yale: tái-jyē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tairjie
    • Palladius: тайцзе (tajcze)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: táijiēr
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄝㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: táijier
    • Wade–Giles: tʻai²-chieh¹-ʼrh
    • Yale: tái-jyēr
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tairjie'l
    • Palladius: тайцзер (tajczer)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰaɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛɻ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: toi⁴ gaai¹
    • Yale: tòih gāai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: toi⁴ gaai¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: toi⁴ gai¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɔːi̯²¹ kaːi̯⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tâi-kai
    • Tâi-lô: tâi-kai
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dai'kay
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tai²⁴⁻²² kai³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tai¹³⁻²² kai⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /tai²⁴⁻²² kai⁴⁴/

Noun

臺階

1. step (on a flight of stairs) (Classifier: 級／级 m; 階／阶 m)

   當心臺階。／当心台阶。  ―  Dāngxīn táijiē.  ―  Mind your step.

   女孩坐在臺階上大哭大喊：「我爸爸在哪兒？」 [MSC, trad.]
   女孩坐在台阶上大哭大喊：「我爸爸在哪儿？」 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǚhái zuò zài táijiē shàng dàkū dàhǎn: “Wǒ bàba zài nǎr?” [Pinyin]

   The girl sat on the steps, crying, and shouted, "Where is my dad?"

2. (figurative) level (Classifier: 個／个)

   我希望你的中文輔導服務能把我的水平提高到一個新的臺階。 [MSC, trad.]
   我希望你的中文辅导服务能把我的水平提高到一个新的台阶。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ xīwàng nǐ de zhōngwén fǔdǎo fúwù néng bǎ wǒ de shuǐpíng tígāo dào yīge xīn de táijiē. [Pinyin]

   I hope your Chinese tutoring service will take my proficiency to the next level.

3. (figurative) way out of an awkward situation (Classifier: 個／个 m; 級／级 m)

   給她個臺階下，免得她惱羞成怒死不認賬。 [MSC, trad.]
   给她个台阶下，免得她恼羞成怒死不认账。 [MSC, simp.]

   Gěi tā ge táijiē xià, miǎnde tā nǎoxiūchéngnù sǐbù rènzhàng. [Pinyin]

   Give her a way out of the awkward situation so as to avoid her being shamed into anger.

Synonyms

• (step): (Jin) 圪臺臺／圪台台, 石檐, 圪踏子; (Northern Min) 崎仔; (Hokkien) 砛 (jīn), 砛仔, 砛棧／砛栈, 砛坎仔

Dialectal synonyms of 臺階 (“steps”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		臺階
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	臺階兒
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	臺階兒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	坎坎, 梯坎兒
	Wuhan	礓踏
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	坡臺子, 廊簷臺子 with a roof
	Hefei	踏步子, 廊簷臺子 with a roof, 廊簷踏子 with a roof
Cantonese	Guangzhou	步級, 石級
	Hong Kong	石級
	Yangjiang	階基
Gan	Nanchang	坡子
Hakka	Meixian	斷
Jin	Taiyuan	圪臺臺, 圪臺, 臺階兒
Northern Min	Jian'ou	崎仔
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	階座
Southern Min	Xiamen	崎仔
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	崎仔棧
	Chaozhou	路頭坎, 踏步層
Wu	Suzhou	階沿
	Wenzhou	踏步級, 踏步
Xiang	Changsha	隥子
	Shuangfeng	坦子

Derived terms

• 下臺階／下台阶 (xià táijiē)
• 找臺階／找台阶
• 找臺階下／找台阶下

 

See also

• 樓梯／楼梯 (lóutī)