TongTong
Sign in

质量 (zhì liàng) — quality; (physics) mass

Definition

质量 covers both 'quality' (of a product, service, etc.) and the physics sense 'mass'. 品质 overlaps in meaning but is more often used for a person's character or for products in a more evaluative sense.

noun
quality(physics) mass

Examples

  • 质量。
    Zhè ge chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng hěn hǎo.
    The quality of this product is very good.
  • 质量。
    Wǒ men yào tí gāo zhì liàng.
    We need to improve quality.
  • 质量。
    Dì qiú de zhì liàng fēi cháng dà.
    The Earth's mass is very large.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

质zhìquality
量liángquantity

质 and 量 each point to an aspect of a thing—what it is and how much there is—giving quality or mass.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 質; 质 is its simplified writing.

  • 斦斦yín
  • 貝貝bèi

The traditional form 質 is made up of 貝 and 斦; this describes 質, not the simplified 质.

Open 质 →

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 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Physics & ChemistryGood & Bad

Browse more HSK 4 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.