TongTong
Sign in

测量 (cè liáng) — to measure (dimensions, quantity, etc.); to survey (land, area, etc.)

Definition

测量 (cèliáng) is the standard verb for 'to measure / to survey' — more formal and technical than the everyday 量, and emphasizes the act of using instruments (per example: temperature, land, dimensions).

verb
to measure (dimensions, quantity, etc.)to survey (land, area, etc.)

Examples

  • 测量。
    Wǒ zhèng zài cè liáng zhè ge fáng jiān de cháng dù hé kuān dù.
    I am measuring the length and width of this room.
  • 测量。
    Gōng chéng shī yòng zhuān yè shè bèi cè liáng le zhěng piàn tǔ dì.
    The engineer surveyed the entire piece of land with professional equipment.
  • 测量。
    Hù shi měi tiān zǎo wǎn dōu cè liáng bìng rén de tǐ wēn.
    The nurse measures the patient's body temperature every morning and evening.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

测cèmeasure
量liángmeasure

测 and 量 both involve measuring, so the word means to survey or gauge.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 測; 测 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
則
則zé測cè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 測 combines 氵 (water) with 則 for the sound; it is explained as measuring the depth of water. The simplified 测 is a later shorthand.

Open 测 →

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
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Units & Measurement

Browse more HSK 6 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.