catty (unit of weight)
English · catty (unit of weight)
catty (traditional unit of weight)
- 这块西瓜有五斤重。Zhè kuài xīguā yǒu wǔ jīn zhòng.This piece of watermelon weighs five catties (2.5 kg).
- 苹果多少钱一斤？Píngguǒ duōshǎo qián yì jīn?How much does a catty of apples cost?
Topology: Single character · Strokes: 4 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the vertical stroke centered and balanced, ensuring the horizontal arms distribute weight evenly on both sides.
Radical 斤 · Axe Radical (axe, blade, chopping)
The character depicts the blade of an ancient battle axe or chopping tool, featuring a handle and a curved cutting edge.
- 斤 Represents an axe, historically used as a standard unit of weight tied to metal cutting tools.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
15· Phonetic Root: 斤 (jīn)Origin: Originally depicted as a traditional weapon or axe (斧头) with a blade and handle. Over time, the character for the axe came to be borrowed to represent a standard unit of weight (catty), which was historically measured using metal weights.
Semantic Evolution: From its original physical form as a chopping axe, its primary modern use is strictly as a unit of measurement (catty), though it still functions as a radical relating to axes and cutting.
- In traditional Chinese markets, the catty (斤) was universally used for weighing produce, meat, and dry goods.
- One mainland Chinese catty is standardized to exactly 500 grams, while Taiwan uses 600 grams.
Imagine going to the farmers' market with a sharp chopping axe (斤) to cut open heavy watermelons, which are sold by the catty (斤).
jīnConfusing the unit '斤' (jin1, 500g) with kilograms '公斤' (gongjin1, 1000g), or mispronouncing the first tone as a dipping tone.
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