鍿 (zī) - Ancient unit of weight equal to six taels & also an ancient term for a small amount

鍿Tone 1

zī ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

志

鍿 · zī

Ancient unit of weight equal to six taels;

also an ancient term for a small amount of money.

Ancient unit of weight equal to six taelsalso an ancient term for a small amount

Usage highlights

One zīGold zīSilver zīZī weightSeveral zīZī measurement

Synonyms

  • 铢— zhu, another small ancient weight unit
  • 两— tael, larger weight unit
  • 钱— qian, money or coin

Antonyms

  • 斤— catty, large weight unit
  • 石— dan, very large weight unit

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • In ancient times, a zī was a small unit of weight (一鍿).
  • The merchant measured gold by the zī (金一鍿).
  • This transaction was worth only a few zī (几鍿之价).

Collocations

  • One zī(一鍿)
  • Gold zī(金鍿)
  • Silver zī(银鍿)
  • Zī weight(鍿重)
  • Several zī(数鍿)
  • Zī measurement(鍿量)

Idioms

  • Not even worth a zī(不值一鍿)
  • Accumulating zī by zī(积鍿累寸)
  • Calculating every zī(锱鍿必较)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 鍿 was an ancient Chinese unit of weight, approximately equal to six taels or 1/4 of a tael depending on the historical period.
  • It was commonly used for weighing precious metals like gold and silver in ancient commerce.
  • The character reflects the importance of precise measurement in traditional Chinese trade and metallurgy.

FAQ