<p>Both 水平 and 程度 can be translated as "level" in the context of measuring personal or collective ability like proficiency, effectiveness.</p>

<p>中文水平 = "Chinese language (proficiency) level</p>

<p>中文程度 = "Chinese language (proficiency) level </p>

<p>However, 程度 has broader range in usage. It can describe the degree or level of anything that can be measured or compared. For example, popularity, severity,  credibility and many more.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>受歡迎程度 = popularity</p></li>
<li><p>嚴重程度 = severity</p></li>
<li><p>可信程度 = credibility</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Since proficiency can also be measured, '中文程度' is a valid term. However, the term '中文程度', depend on context, can applied to: </p>

<ul>
<li><p>這個人的<strong>中文程度</strong>很高-  <em>This person's Chinese language (proficiency) level is high</em></p></li>
<li><p>這所學校的<strong>中文程度</strong>很高- <em>The (difficulty) level of Chinese language courses in this school is high</em></p></li>
</ul>

<blockquote>
  <p>You cannot say 受歡迎水平, 嚴重水平 or 可信水平, because none of them is a ability.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T19:57:06.037Z
2017-09-04T20:50:10.630Z
2017-09-04T20:50:10.630Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
  <p>我的中文水平不夠 (without 了)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is right absolutely.  With 了, it means 水平够 in the past, but nowadays 不够了</p>

<p>Maybe it is a problem about region difference, for example I know that some region prefer 水准 instead of 水平.</p>

<p>中文程度 is wrong, it should be 中文XX程度, XX can be 掌握, 了解, 精通 or 熟悉....</p>

<p>In this context, 水平 is equal to 程度: 中文水平不够 = 中文的掌握程度不够</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T18:15:43.320Z
2017-09-04T18:15:43.320Z
sfy
<p>From <a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/4/14a/323498.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">zdict</a></p>

<p>水平:</p>

<pre><code>(2) [standard; level]∶在某一专业方面所达到的高度
</code></pre>

<p>Therefore you should always use “水平” in this case.</p>

<p>And in real life, it would be quite strange to say “英语程度”.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-05T05:06:34.250Z
2017-09-05T05:06:34.250Z
Aria Ax
<p>The following is just my experience, and applies to the terms <em>shuiping</em> and <em>chengdu</em> in the context of language proficiency only.
As Dan already mentioned in his answer, I believe the usage is regional.</p>

<p>In Taiwan, the term <em>chengdu</em> is used in the same way <em>shuiping</em> is used on the mainland.
The term <em>shuiping</em> is understood, but I have not heard it used.</p>

<p>On the mainland, <em>shuiping</em> is much more frequently used than <em>chengdu</em> to describe language proficiency, though I cannot vouch that <em>chengdu</em> isn’t more common in some areas I didn’t visit.</p>

<p>Skimming through different Chinese-Chinese dictionaries (some from mainland, some from Taiwan), I found that all of them have entries for both <em>shuiping</em> and <em>chengdu</em>.
And while the term <em>chengdu</em> is unambiguous, all dictionaries not only define <em>shuiping</em> as (water) level (and related meanings), but also as <em>chengdu</em> or <em>shuizhun</em> 水準. <em>Shuizhun</em> seems to be used more in Taiwan, but I don’t recall hearing it.</p>

<p>The dictionaries I checked are: Hanyu da cidian, Longman advanced Chinese, Guifan cidian, and the Ministry of education dictionary.</p>

<p>My background: I spent six months in Taiwan and a good year on the mainland.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-05T16:11:15.513Z
2017-09-05T16:17:09.610Z
2017-09-05T16:17:09.610Z
Philipp
<p>I think there are differences regarding the terminology usage from different regions.</p>

<p>To me, 我的中文水平不夠 sounds more natural. I guess 我中文程度不够 could be more natural to folks from Taiwan. If you add a modifier for 程度: 我中文<strong>理解</strong>程度不够, then it would be more natural to me。</p>

<p>水平 means 'level' and it's typically measured by 高（high） and 低（low）. For example, you could say 我中文水平不高, 我中文水平比较低.</p>

<p>程度 means 'extent', it's typically measured by 深（deep） and 浅(shallow) . For example, 我对中文理解程度不深, 我对中文理解的很浅.</p>

<p>There are also some other alternatives to express 我中文水准不够: 我中文水平不行， 我中文不行，我中文水准不行， 我中文水准不够, 我中文不够水准. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T22:38:43.733Z
2017-09-04T22:38:43.733Z
dan
<p>Recently I explained to my aunt (from Taiwan) that I could not attend the class in 台灣閩南語 in the past because my Chinese was very basic and the class was taught in Chinese. In this context I used a sentence like</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我的中文水平不夠了。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My aunt remarked I should not use 水平，but 程度。 I searched the internet and found countless examples of 英語水平：</p>
<blockquote>
<p>有私人教育集團今日（15日）公布本年度全球成人英語水平報告。(<a href="https://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/54402/%E6%B8%AF%E4%BA%BA%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E6%B0%B4%E5%B9%B3%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E6%8E%9230-%E9%81%9C%E6%98%9F%E9%A6%AC%E5%8D%97%E9%9F%93%E8%8F%B2%E5%BE%8B%E8%B3%93" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>)</p>
<p>香港人的英语水平为何不如上海？ (<a href="http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001062730" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>)</p>
<p>测试您的英语水平，让您脱颖而出 (<a href="https://www.efset.cn" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a>)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why to opt for 程度 in the aforementioned context?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T17:29:09.333Z
it may be a question of collocation, i.e.   whether 水平 or 程度 are better characterized as 不够, in fact searching jukuu with both 水平不够 and 程度不够 yields quite a few  examples of the latter, but only one somewhat doubtful example of the former
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T17:52:31.623Z
these can be found: 水平不高，水平比较低， 最低水平，水平为最低，there also are many samples with 不够高，therefore 水平不够高 seems possible （ although could not find any at jukuu)
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-04T18:06:43.013Z
This seems very odd, but is an excellent point!
Ludi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-06T01:11:56.420Z
水平 can be quantized and comparable (大学英语四级水平, not 四级程度), 程度 can't, and it cannot be used standalone. so, 水平不夠 is good, when 程度 used, we should say 我的中文 “熟练” 程度不够。 by the way, you should not append '了',  '了' at the end means that you spoke Chinese proficiently in past but now you cannot (e.g. you stop speaking Chinese for many years and forget most words, ^_^).
Daniel Yang
<word>
水平 VS 程度 in the context of language proficiency
# 水平 VS 程度 in the context of language proficiency

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-04)

Recently I explained to my aunt (from Taiwan) that I could not attend the class in 台灣閩南語 in the past because my Chinese was very basic and the class was taught in Chinese. In this context I used a sentence like

> 我的中文水平不夠了。

My aunt remarked I should not use 水平，but 程度。 I searched the internet and found countless examples of 英語水平：

> 有私人教育集團今日（15日）公布本年度全球成人英語水平報告。([source](https://www.hk01.com/%E6%B8%AF%E8%81%9E/54402/%E6%B8%AF%E4%BA%BA%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%E6%B0%B4%E5%B9%B3%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E6%8E%9230-%E9%81%9C%E6%98%9F%E9%A6%AC%E5%8D%97%E9%9F%93%E8%8F%B2%E5%BE%8B%E8%B3%93))
>
> 香港人的英语水平为何不如上海？ ([source](http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001062730))
>
> 测试您的英语水平，让您脱颖而出 ([source](https://www.efset.cn))

Why to opt for 程度 in the aforementioned context?

**Tags:** word
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: it may be a question of collocation, i.e.   whether 水平 or 程度 are better characterized as 不够, in fact searching jukuu with both 水平不够 and 程度不够 yields quite a few  examples of the latter, but only one somewhat doubtful example of the former  
> **username_1**: these can be found: 水平不高，水平比较低， 最低水平，水平为最低，there also are many samples with 不够高，therefore 水平不够高 seems possible （ although could not find any at jukuu)  
> **username_0**: This seems very odd, but is an excellent point!  
> **username_2**: 水平 can be quantized and comparable (大学英语四级水平, not 四级程度), 程度 can't, and it cannot be used standalone. so, 水平不夠 is good, when 程度 used, we should say 我的中文 “熟练” 程度不够。 by the way, you should not append '了',  '了' at the end means that you spoke Chinese proficiently in past but now you cannot (e.g. you stop speaking Chinese for many years and forget most words, ^_^).  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2017-09-04. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

I think there are differences regarding the terminology usage from different regions.

To me, 我的中文水平不夠 sounds more natural. I guess 我中文程度不够 could be more natural to folks from Taiwan. If you add a modifier for 程度: 我中文**理解**程度不够, then it would be more natural to me。

水平 means 'level' and it's typically measured by 高（high） and 低（low）. For example, you could say 我中文水平不高, 我中文水平比较低.

程度 means 'extent', it's typically measured by 深（deep） and 浅(shallow) . For example, 我对中文理解程度不深, 我对中文理解的很浅.

There are also some other alternatives to express 我中文水准不够: 我中文水平不行， 我中文不行，我中文水准不行， 我中文水准不够, 我中文不够水准.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-09-04. Score: 4

Both 水平 and 程度 can be translated as "level" in the context of measuring personal or collective ability like proficiency, effectiveness.

中文水平 = "Chinese language (proficiency) level

中文程度 = "Chinese language (proficiency) level

However, 程度 has broader range in usage. It can describe the degree or level of anything that can be measured or compared. For example, popularity, severity, credibility and many more.

* 受歡迎程度 = popularity
* 嚴重程度 = severity
* 可信程度 = credibility

Since proficiency can also be measured, '中文程度' is a valid term. However, the term '中文程度', depend on context, can applied to:

* 這個人的**中文程度**很高- *This person's Chinese language (proficiency) level is high*
* 這所學校的**中文程度**很高- *The (difficulty) level of Chinese language courses in this school is high*

> You cannot say 受歡迎水平, 嚴重水平 or 可信水平, because none of them is a ability.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-09-04. Score: 2

> 我的中文水平不夠 (without 了)

is right absolutely. With 了, it means 水平够 in the past, but nowadays 不够了

Maybe it is a problem about region difference, for example I know that some region prefer 水准 instead of 水平.

中文程度 is wrong, it should be 中文XX程度, XX can be 掌握, 了解, 精通 or 熟悉....

In this context, 水平 is equal to 程度: 中文水平不够 = 中文的掌握程度不够


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### Answer by username_5 on 2017-09-05. Score: 1

From zdict
水平:
(2) [standard; level]∶在某一专业方面所达到的高度

Therefore you should always use “水平” in this case.
And in real life, it would be quite strange to say “英语程度”.


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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-09-05. Score: 1

The following is just my experience, and applies to the terms *shuiping* and *chengdu* in the context of language proficiency only.
As Dan already mentioned in his answer, I believe the usage is regional.

In Taiwan, the term *chengdu* is used in the same way *shuiping* is used on the mainland.
The term *shuiping* is understood, but I have not heard it used.

On the mainland, *shuiping* is much more frequently used than *chengdu* to describe language proficiency, though I cannot vouch that *chengdu* isn’t more common in some areas I didn’t visit.

Skimming through different Chinese-Chinese dictionaries (some from mainland, some from Taiwan), I found that all of them have entries for both *shuiping* and *chengdu*.
And while the term *chengdu* is unambiguous, all dictionaries not only define *shuiping* as (water) level (and related meanings), but also as *chengdu* or *shuizhun* 水準. *Shuizhun* seems to be used more in Taiwan, but I don’t recall hearing it.

The dictionaries I checked are: Hanyu da cidian, Longman advanced Chinese, Guifan cidian, and the Ministry of education dictionary.

My background: I spent six months in Taiwan and a good year on the mainland.


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