Learn a Chinese Character - 斤

1. Character Basics

Radical: 斤/jīn (axe radical) - 斤 is a radical itself

Stroke Count: 4

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jīn (first tone)

3. Meaning

Jin (Chinese unit of weight, approximately 500 grams), axe (ancient meaning), unit of weight, cut, chop (archaic meaning), weigh, measure

4. Common Words

• 公斤 (gōng jīn) - kilogram

  这个西瓜有五公斤重。

  This watermelon weighs five kilograms.

• 斤两 (jīn liǎng) - weight, measure

  做生意要讲斤两公平。

  Business should be fair in measurements.

• 斤斤计较 (jīn jīn jì jiào) - haggle over every ounce, be petty

  他对小事总是斤斤计较。

  He always haggles over trivial matters.

• 半斤八两 (bàn jīn bā liǎng) - six of one and half a dozen of the other

  你们俩的水平半斤八两。

  Your levels are about the same.

• 斤斗 (jīn dǒu) - somersault

  他能在空中翻三个斤斗。

  He can do three somersaults in the air.

• 斤斤 (jīn jīn) - careful, meticulous

  做任何事都要斤斤计较细节。

  We should be meticulous about details in everything we do.

5. Grammar & Usage

The character 斤 has several important grammatical patterns and usages:

• As a measure word:

  Used to measure weight in Chinese traditional units

  Example: 一斤肉 (one jin of meat), 两斤苹果 (two jin of apples)

• In compound measure words:

  Often combined with other characters to form weight-related expressions

  Examples: 公斤 (kilogram), 市斤 (market jin, traditional Chinese unit)

• In idiomatic expressions:

  斤斤计较 (haggle over every ounce)

  半斤八两 (six of one and half a dozen of the other)

  运斤成风 (with great skill, like a master carpenter using an axe)

• As a verb (archaic usage):

  Meaning "to cut" or "to chop"

  Example: 斤斧 (axe, chopping tool)

• As a radical:

  斤 is an important radical in Chinese characters, often found in characters related to cutting, chopping, or tools

  Examples: 斧 (axe), 斩 (chop), 断 (break), 所 (place, but originally related to cutting)

• In comparative structures:

  Used to compare weights or amounts

  Example: 这个比那个重三斤。(This is three jin heavier than that.)

The character 斤 is primarily used as a unit of weight in modern Chinese, but it also appears in many idioms and is an important radical in Chinese character formation.

6. Cultural Background

The character 斤 has important cultural significance in Chinese society:

• The jin (斤) is one of the oldest traditional Chinese units of measurement, with a history dating back thousands of years. It reflects the ancient Chinese system of weights and measures.
• In ancient times, 斤 originally referred to an axe or cutting tool, showing the importance of agriculture and craftsmanship in early Chinese civilization.
• The idiom "斤斤计较" reflects cultural attitudes towards frugality and attention to detail, although it often carries a negative connotation of being overly petty.
• The saying "半斤八两" (six of one and half a dozen of the other) comes from the historical equivalence between半斤 (half a jin) and八两 (eight liang), showing how traditional measurements influenced language and idioms.
• Traditional Chinese markets often use both metric (kilogram) and traditional (jin) units, demonstrating the continuity of cultural practices.
• The character 斤 is also used in Chinese martial arts terminology, such as "斤斗" (somersault), showing its influence beyond just measurement.
• Chinese philosophy often uses weight metaphors, and the concept of 斤 has been incorporated into various philosophical expressions and teachings.

Overall, the character 斤 embodies important cultural elements related to measurement, tools, language, and traditional values in Chinese society.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 斤 (jīn) is a simple character with 4 strokes. Here are some tips to help you remember it:

1. Visualize the character as a stylized image of an axe, which connects to its original meaning as a cutting tool.
2. Notice that 斤 has the same pronunciation as 今 (jīn), but different meanings and written forms. This can help you distinguish between these two common characters.
3. Remember that 斤 is both a unit of weight and a radical in Chinese characters. Learning characters that use 斤 as a radical can help reinforce your memory.
4. Use mnemonics: Imagine the character 斤 as a scale or balance, representing its primary use as a unit of measurement.
5. Practice writing the character several times, focusing on the correct stroke order: first the撇 (piě), then the撇 (piě) again, followed by the横 (héng) and竖 (shù).
6. Connect the character to common phrases and idioms like "公斤" (kilogram) and "斤斤计较" (haggle over every ounce) to reinforce its meaning and usage.

With its simple structure and practical use in daily life, 斤 is a fundamental character that every Chinese language learner should master early on.