掂Tone 1

diān ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

掂 · diān

To weigh in the hand;

to estimate or consider;

to be steady or stable.

To weigh in the handto estimate or considerto be steady or stable.

Usage highlights

To weigh in handTo weigh and considerTo weigh pros and consTo feel heavy when weighedTo assess carefullyTo estimate the weight

Synonyms

称— to weigh (with a scale)
估— to estimate
衡— to weigh, to measure

Antonyms

扔— to throw away (opposite of careful handling)
忽— to neglect (opposite of careful consideration)

Usage & contexts

Examples

He weighed the fruit in his hand (掂了掂水果).
Let's consider the pros and cons (掂量一下利弊).
This package feels quite heavy (这个包裹掂起来很重).
She carefully assessed the situation (她仔细掂量了形势).

Collocations

To weigh in hand(掂量)
To weigh and consider(掂掂)
To weigh pros and cons(掂量利弊)
To feel heavy when weighed(掂着沉)
To assess carefully(仔细掂量)
To estimate the weight(掂重量)

Idioms

To weigh and consider carefully(掂斤估两)
To calculate meticulously(掂斤播两)
To be steady and reliable(掂掂实实)

Cultural background

Originally meant to weigh objects by hand, similar to using a handheld scale.
Extended meaning includes careful consideration and assessment of situations.
Often used in contexts requiring judgment and evaluation of pros and cons.

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