TongTong
Sign in

分量 (fèn liàng) — weight, quantity, portion; (figurative) weight, influence, significance (of words, opinions, etc.)

Definition

分量 stresses how heavy or significant something feels — physical weight (a package's 分量) or figurative impact (his words carry 分量). Unlike 数量 (countable amount) or 重量 (pure physical heaviness), it adds a sense of heft or authority.

noun
weightquantityportion(figurative) weightinfluencesignificance (of words, opinions, etc.)

Examples

  • 分量，。
    Zhè ge bāo guǒ de fèn liàng hěn zhòng, xū yào liǎng gè rén tái.
    This package is very heavy; it takes two people to carry it.
  • 分量，。
    Tā de gōng zuò fèn liàng zēng jiā le bù shǎo, zuì jìn jīng cháng jiā bān.
    His workload has increased a lot; he's been working overtime often lately.
  • 分量，。
    Lǎo zhāng de huà zài huì yì shàng hěn yǒu fèn liàng, dà jiā dōu rèn zhēn tīng.
    Lao Zhang's words carry a lot of weight at the meeting; everyone listens carefully.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

分fēncomponent
量liángquantity

分 points to a portion or component, and 量 gives the sense of quantity or weight.

Characters in this word

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

分 pairs 八 (to separate) with 刀 (knife), showing something cut apart with a knife.

Open 分 →

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 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Abstract ConceptsQuantity & Amount

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.