Meaning of 寸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- a unit of length
- inch
- thumb
How to use 寸
寸 is a traditional Chinese unit of length, about 3.33 cm, and it still appears in measurements like photo sizes and screen sizes. It also shows up in many words about size and limits, such as 尺寸 (chǐcùn) and 分寸 (fēncun). Example: 我要拍一张一寸的照片。(Wǒ yào pāi yì zhāng yí cùn de zhàopiàn.) I need to take a one-inch photo.
Picture 寸 (cùn) as a hand with a small dot marking a spot just below the wrist, where a doctor feels the pulse. That short distance from the hand is about one 寸, a small unit of length close to an inch.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 寸 (cùn) with 才 (cái) or 村 (cūn). Remember that 寸 has a fourth tone and a dot on the left side of the hook. Another common slip is using 寸 for the Western inch. That inch is 英寸 (yīngcùn).
寸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
寸 cùn · a unit of length · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 寸.
| 尺寸 | chǐcùn | size; dimensions; measurements (esp. of clothes); (coll.) propriety |
| 分寸 | fēncun | propriety; appropriate behavior |
| 英寸 | yīngcùn | inch (unit of length equal to 2.54 cm.) |
| 手无寸铁 | shǒuwúcùntiě | lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless |
| 得寸进尺 | décùnjìnchǐ | lit. win an inch, want a foot (idiom); fig. not satisfied with small gains; give him an in |
Questions about 寸
What does 寸 mean?
寸 (cùn) means "a unit of length; inch" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 寸?
寸 is made of 1 character: 寸 (3 strokes). That is 3 strokes in total.
Is 寸 an HSK word?
Yes. 寸 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 分寸 mean when talking about behavior?
分寸 (fēncun) means a sense of proper limits, knowing how far to go. 他说话很有分寸 means he speaks tactfully and knows what is appropriate. Note that 寸 is often said in the neutral tone in this word.
How is 寸 used in the idiom 得寸进尺?
得寸进尺 (décùnjìnchǐ) means getting an inch and then wanting a foot. It describes someone who is never satisfied and keeps asking for more. It is similar to the English saying "give him an inch and he'll take a mile."