| 阶层 | jiē céng | hierarchy / stratum / social class |  |
| 层级 | céng jí | level / hierarchy | |
| 等级制度 | děng jí zhì dù | hierarchy | |
| 交椅 | jiāo yǐ | old-style wooden folding armchair, typically featuring a footrest / (fig.) position in a hierarchy |  |
| 贵贱 | guì jiàn | noble and lowly / high versus low social hierarchy of ruler to people, father to son, husband to wife in Confucianism | |
| 辈分 | bèi fèn | seniority in the family or clan / position in the family hierarchy | |
| 社会阶层 | shè huì jiē céng | social hierarchy / stratum in society / social status | |
| 杯酒释兵权 | bēi jiǔ shì bīng quán | to dismiss military hierarchy using wine cups / cf Song founding Emperor Song Taizu 宋太祖 / holds a banquet in 961 and persuades his senior army commanders to go home to their provinces | |
| 层报 | céng bào | to report to higher authorities through layers of hierarchy | |
| 近乎同步数位阶层 | jìn hū tóng bù shù wèi jiē céng | plesiochronous digital hierarchy / PDH | |
| 同步数位阶层 | tóng bù shù wèi jiē céng | synchronous digital hierarchy / SDH | |
| 需求层次理论 | xū qiú céng cì lǐ lùn | (Maslow's) hierarchy of needs (psychology) | |
| 方案等级结构 | fāng àn děng jí jié gòu | programme hierarchy | |
