Chinese Character: 量
1. Character Basics
Radical: 里 (lǐ, inner radical)
Stroke Count: 12
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: liàng (Fourth tone) / liáng (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Measure; quantity; amount; capacity; estimate; measure up; consider; judge; weigh
4. Common Words
- 数量 (shùliàng) - quantity; amount
- 质量 (zhìliàng) - quality
- 测量 (cèliáng) - to measure
- 大量 (dàliàng) - a large amount; a great deal
- 分量 (fènliàng) - weight; heft; importance
- 音量 (yīnliàng) - volume (of sound)
- 容量 (róngliàng) - capacity; volume
- 力量 (lìliàng) - strength; power; force
5. Grammar & Usage
The character 量 has two main pronunciations and uses:
As liàng (Fourth tone): Used as a noun to refer to quantity, amount, or capacity. It is often combined with other characters to form nouns related to measurement.
Example: 这个容器的容量很大。(Zhège róngqì de róngliàng hěn dà.) - This container has a large capacity.
As liáng (Second tone): Used as a verb meaning "to measure" or "to estimate".
Example: 请测量一下这个房间的面积。(Qǐng cèliáng yīxià zhège fángjiān de miànjī.) - Please measure the area of this room.
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of measurement (度量衡, dùliànghéng) has a long history. The character 量 is central to this concept, representing the act of measuring and the resulting quantity. Traditional Chinese units of measurement, such as 斤 (jīn, catty), 尺 (chǐ, chi), and 升 (shēng, sheng), have been used for thousands of years and are still relevant in some contexts today.
The character 量 also appears in philosophical contexts, such as in the idea of "量才录用" (liàngcái lùyòng), which means to assign people to positions according to their abilities.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 这个房间的面积很大，可以容纳很多人。
Pinyin: Zhège fángjiān de miànjī hěn dà, kěyǐ róngnà hěnduō rén.
English: This room has a large area and can accommodate many people.
8. Memory Tips
To remember the character 量, you can break it down into two parts:
1. The upper part is 旦 (dàn), which means "dawn" or "morning", represented by a sun (日) above the horizon (一).
2. The lower part is 里 (lǐ), which means "inner" or "inside", and is also a traditional unit of distance.
Imagine using the light of the morning sun to measure what's inside something. This can help you remember that 量 is related to measurement and quantity.