銖 (zhū) - Zhu — an ancient Chinese unit of weight & a small amount

銖Tone 1

zhū ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

志

銖 · zhū

Zhu — an ancient Chinese unit of weight equal to 1/24 of a tael (liǎng);

a small amount;

used in historical and literary contexts.

Zhu — an ancient Chinese unit of weighta small amountused in historical and literary contexts.

Usage highlights

Zhu and liangZhu balanceZhu coinZhu accumulationZhu calculationZhu comparison

Synonyms

  • 兩— tael (traditional weight unit, equal to 24 zhu)
  • 錢— mace (traditional weight unit, equal to 10 zhu)

Antonyms

  • 斤— catty (traditional weight unit, equal to 384 zhu)
  • 鈞— traditional weight unit equal to 30 catties

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient coin weighed one zhu (一銖).
  • He didn't have a zhu of silver (一銖銀子).
  • This medicine must be measured by the zhu (按銖計量).
  • The difference is less than a zhu (銖兩之差).

Collocations

  • Zhu and liang(銖兩)
  • Zhu balance(銖秤)
  • Zhu coin(銖錢)
  • Zhu accumulation(積銖)
  • Zhu calculation(銖算)
  • Zhu comparison(銖較)

Idioms

  • Counting every zhu and liang(銖兩悉稱)
  • Accumulating zhu to form liang(積銖累寸)
  • Not differing by a zhu(不差銖兩)
  • Comparing zhu and liang(銖銖較量)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally a weight unit in ancient China, approximately 0.57 grams during Han dynasty.
  • Used metaphorically to describe very small amounts or meticulous calculations.
  • Appears in historical texts about currency, weights, and measurements.
  • Reflects the precision of traditional Chinese measurement systems.

FAQ