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估量 (gū liang) — to appraise, to estimate, to assess

Definition

A formal verb for 'to estimate / appraise', used in written contexts like reports and analysis. Tone is more literary than 估计 (gūjì), which is the everyday spoken equivalent.

verb
to appraiseto estimateto assess

Examples

  • 估量。
    Tā zǐ xì gū liang le zhè cì tóu zī de chéng běn.
    He carefully estimated the cost of this investment.
  • 估量。
    Wǒ men hěn nán gū liang zhè chǎng zāi nàn dài lái de sǔn shī.
    It's hard for us to assess the losses brought by this disaster.
  • 估量。
    Zhuān jiā zhèng zài gū liang zhè ge xiàng mù de kě xíng xìng.
    Experts are appraising the feasibility of this project.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

估gūestimate
量liángmeasure

估 and 量 both carry the sense of estimating or measuring, forming the idea of appraisal.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ估gū
Same sound today

The left part 亻 is a person; the right part 古 gives 估 its sound.

Open 估 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 日日rìsun
  • 東東dōngbag; east

量 has 日 (sun) over 東 (bag; east). Some explanations suggest measuring under the sun or the sun rising in the east, but the exact origin is unclear.

Open 量 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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