尺度 (chǐ dù) — standard; criterion; yardstick | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

尺度 means 'standard' or 'yardstick,' usually for judging behavior, fairness, or quality. Unlike 标准 (a general, established norm), 尺度 leans toward the measure or limit itself — how far something is acceptable.

noun

standardcriterionyardstick

Examples

，尺度。
Pàn duàn yí gè rén de xíng wéi shì fǒu hé lǐ, bù néng zhǐ yòng yì zhǒng chǐ dù.
You can't use just one standard to judge whether a person's behavior is reasonable.
尺度。
Fǎ lǜ shì wéi hù shè huì gōng píng de zhòng yào chǐ dù.
Law is an important yardstick for maintaining social fairness.
，尺度。
Píng jià yì shù zuò pǐn shí, měi gè rén de chǐ dù dōu bù tóng.
When evaluating artworks, everyone's standard is different.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

度dùmeasure

尺 and 度 both refer to measuring, giving the sense of a standard or criterion.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape is thought to picture a hand with the thumb and middle finger spread apart, like a natural ruler for measuring length.

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

又又yòuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

石

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

度 has 又 (hand) and a changed form of 石; 石 gives a related sound, and the hand is tied to using the hand as a reference for measurement.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Abstract Concepts

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