甲こう乙おつ丙へい

noun

A, B and C; first, second and third

Used for three-grade classification, often in formal or grading contexts. The three characters represent the first three of the ten Heavenly Stems, used here as ordinal markers.

• 成せい績せきは甲こう乙おつ丙へいで評ひょう価かされた。

  The results were graded as A, B, and C.

• この書しょ類るいは甲こう乙おつ丙へいの三さん種しゅ類るいに分ぶん類るいされる。

  These documents are classified into three types: A, B, and C.