Meaning of 测
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to survey
- to measure
- to conjecture
How to use 测
测 is rarely used alone in everyday speech. It usually appears in compounds like 测试 (cèshì, to test), 测量 (cèliáng, to measure) and 预测 (yùcè, to predict). Example: 明天有一个数学测试。(Míngtiān yǒu yí ge shùxué cèshì.) There is a math test tomorrow.
测 has the water radical 氵 on the left and 则 (zé, rule or standard) on the right. Picture someone using a fixed rule to measure how deep the water is.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 测 (cè) with 侧 (cè, side) and 厕 (cè, toilet), which share the same sound and the 则 part. Remember that only 测 has the water radical 氵, because it is about measuring.
测 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.
测 cè · to survey · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 测.
| 测试 | cèshì | to test (machinery etc); to test (a person's skill in a particular area) |
| 检测 | jiǎncè | to test; to detect |
| 预测 | yùcè | to forecast; to predict |
| 测量 | cèliáng | survey; to measure |
| 猜测 | cāicè | to guess; to conjecture |
| 监测 | jiāncè | to monitor |
| 测定 | cèdìng | to determine (by measuring or surveying) |
| 推测 | tuīcè | speculation; to conjecture |
| 探测 | tàncè | to probe; to survey |
| 测验 | cèyàn | test; to test |
| 观测 | guāncè | to observe; to survey |
| 揣测 | chuǎicè | to guess; to conjecture |
Questions about 测
What does 测 mean?
测 (cè) means "to survey; to measure" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 测?
测 is made of 1 character: 测 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 测 an HSK word?
Yes. 测 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 测 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 测 is written 測.
What is the difference between 测试 and 考试?
考试 (kǎoshì) is the general word for a school exam. 测试 (cèshì) is more about checking a skill or testing how a machine or product works, like a software test or a short quiz.
How is 猜测 different from 猜?
猜 (cāi) is the everyday word for guess, as in 你猜 (nǐ cāi, take a guess). 猜测 (cāicè) sounds more formal and is often used as a noun meaning speculation, especially in writing.