气量 (qì liàng) — tolerance, magnanimity (used of a person's capacity to tolerate); air volume (physical volume of gas)

Definition

气量 (qìliàng) as a person means 'tolerance' — how big a heart someone has. Don't confuse with 气质 (qìzhì, 'temperament/charisma'), which sounds similar but is about style, not magnanimity.

noun
tolerancemagnanimity (used of a person's capacity to tolerate)air volume (physical volume of gas)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā zhè ge rén qì liàng hěn dà, cóng bù jīn jīn jì jiào.
    He is very tolerant and never nitpicks.
  • 气量。
    Cè liáng zhè ge mì bì róng qì de qì liàng xū yào shǐ yòng zhuān yè yí qì.
    Measuring the air volume of this closed container requires professional instruments.
  • 气量，。
    Nǐ qì liàng tài xiǎo, zhè zhǐ shì yí jù wán xiào huà.
    You're too thin-skinned; that was just a joke.

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.

气qìair
量liángcapacity

气 refers to air or temperament, and 量 means volume or capacity, naming the amount of air or a person's capacity to tolerate.

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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 →

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