- 1. cross the threshold; learn the rudiments of a subject
- ♦ 学英语~并不难, 学好可不容易。 Rudimentary English is easy to acquire, but mastery of the language is quite difficult.
- 2. (usu. used in book titles) elementary course; ABC; primer
- ♦ 《汉语~》 Gateway to Chinese
- ♦ 《英语语法~》 Elementary English Grammar