平方英寸 (píng fāng yīng cùn) — (classifier) square inch (unit of area)

Definition

A measure word for area: one square inch (≈ 6.45 cm²). Follows the number with measure-word spacing, like other area units (平方公里, 平方米).

classifier
square inch (unit of area)

Examples

  • 平方英寸。
    Zhè kuǎn xiǎn shì qì de xiàng sù mì dù shì měi píng fāng yīng cùn sān bǎi gè diǎn.
    The pixel density of this monitor is 300 dots per square inch.
  • 平方英寸。
    Yì zhāng yóu piào de miàn jī dà yuē shì yì píng fāng yīng cùn.
    The area of a stamp is about one square inch.
  • 平方英寸。
    Zhè kuài diàn lù bǎn zhǐ yǒu wǔ píng fāng yīng cùn dà xiǎo.
    This circuit board is only five square inches in size.

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.

平方square
平píngflat方fāngsquare
偏正Modifier + head
英寸inch
英yīngEnglish寸cùnunit
偏正Modifier + head

平方 (square) and 英寸 (inch) together name a square inch.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 方 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
央
央yāng英yīng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

Open 英 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

寸 has two unrelated original forms: a line on the hand and an abbreviated form of another character. It was borrowed for its sound, so the picture is unrelated to the modern meaning.

Open 寸 →

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