What is a 拃 used for?

拃 is a traditional unit of measurement equal to the distance between the tips of the thumb and middle finger when the hand is fully extended, used for quick measurements.

Is 拃 still commonly used today?

While modern rulers are more common, 拃 is still used informally for quick measurements, especially in traditional crafts and rural areas.

拃Tone 3

zhǎ ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 扌

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拃 · zhǎ

A unit of length equal to the span between the tips of the thumb and middle finger when the hand is fully extended;

to measure by spanning.

A unit of length equal to the spanto measure by spanning.

Usage highlights

One spanMeasure by spanningHand spanSpan measurementSpan the cloth

Synonyms

跨度— span, range
掌距— palm span

Usage & contexts

Examples

This board is about one span (一拃) wide.
He measured the cloth by hand spans (拃了拃).
The traditional span (拃) was used before rulers were common.

Collocations

One span(一拃)
Measure by spanning(拃量)
Hand span(手拃)
Span measurement(拃度)
Span the cloth(拃布)

Cultural background

FAQ

拃 was a traditional informal unit of measurement in China, based on the human hand.
This measurement method reflects the practical, body-based measurement systems used in traditional societies.

拃 (zhǎ) - A unit of length equal to the span & to measure by spanning.