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Li (short)

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Chinese unit of length

The li (simplified Chinese: 厘; traditional Chinese: 釐; pinyin: lí) in Mandarin, or lei in Cantonese, is a traditional Chinese unit of length. One li equals 10 hao, 1/10 of a fen, 1/1000 of a chi, or 1/3 mm in China.

Chinese length units promulgated in 1915

Table of Chinese length units promulgated in 1915
Pinyin Character Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
háo 毫 1⁄10000 32 μm 0.00126 in
lí 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) 1⁄1000 0.32 mm 0.0126 in
fēn 分 1⁄100 3.2 mm 0.126 in
cùn 寸 1⁄10 32 mm 1.26 in Chinese inch
chǐ 尺 1 0.32 m 12.6 in Chinese foot
bù 步 5 1.6 m 5.2 ft Chinese pace
zhàng 丈 10 3.2 m 3.50 yd Chinese yard
yǐn 引 100 32 m 35.0 yd
lǐ 里 1800 576 m 630 yd Chinese mile, this li is not the small li above,
which has a different character and tone

Present law on Chinese length units

Chinese measurement law in 1929, effective 1 January 1930

This law of length measurement was issued by the Chinese government in 1929, and has been effective since 1 January, 1930. The base unit chi is defined to be 1/3 meter.

Table of Chinese length units effective since 1930
Pinyin Character Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
háo 毫 1⁄10 000 33+1⁄3 μm 0.00131 in Chinese mil
lí 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) 1⁄1000 1⁄3 mm 0.0131 in Chinese calibre
fēn 市分 1⁄100 3+1⁄3 mm 0.1312 in Chinese line
cùn 市寸 1⁄10 3+1⁄3 cm 1.312 in Chinese inch
chǐ 市尺 1 33+1⁄3 cm 13.12 in Chinese foot
zhàng 市丈 10 3+1⁄3 m 3.645 yd Chinese yard
yǐn 引 100 33+1⁄3 m 36.45 yd Chinese chain
lǐ 市里 1500 500 m 546.8 yd Chinese mile, this li is not the small li above,
which has a different character and tone

Chinese length units in engineering

These units are based on the metric system. The Chinese word for metre is 米 mǐ, which can take the Chinese standard SI prefixes (for "kilo-", "centi-", etc.). A kilometre, however, may also be called 公里 gōnglǐ, i.e. a metric lǐ. In the engineering field, traditional units are rounded up to metric units.

Table of Chinese length units in engineering
Pinyin Character Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
hū 忽 1⁄1000000 1 μm Authorized name: 微米
sī 絲 (T) or 丝 (S) 1⁄100000 10 μm Authorized name: 忽米
háo 毫 1⁄10000 100 μm Authorized name: 絲米 (T) or 丝米 (S)
lí 釐 (T) or 厘 (S) 1⁄1000 1 mm Authorized name: 毫米
fēn 公分 1⁄100 10 mm Authorized name: 釐米(T) or 厘米(S)
cùn 公寸 1⁄10 100 mm Authorized name: 分米
chǐ 公尺 1 1 m Authorized name: 米
Zhàng 公丈 10 10 m Authorized name: 十米
yǐn 公引 100 100 m Authorized name: 百米
lǐ 公里 1000 1000 m this li is not the small li above,
which has a different character and tone

Compounds

See also

References

  1. Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2020). 新华字典 （附录：计量单位简表）(Xinhua Dictionary (Appendix: Brief table of measurement units)) (in Chinese) (12th ed.). Beijing: The Commercial Press. p. 696. ISBN 978-7-100-17093-2.
  2. https://en.wiktionary.org/釐
  3. "權度法 [Quándù Fǎ]", 政府公報 , vol. 957, Beijing: Office of the President, 7 January 1915, pp. 85–94. (in Chinese)
  4. ^ "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)". Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
  5. Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2016). 現代漢語詞典 (Contemporary Chinese Dictionary) (in Chinese) (7th ed.). Beijing: Commercial Press. p. 1789. ISBN 978-7-100-12450-8.
  6. (in Chinese) 1981 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, No. 365 Archived 2014-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, page 575, Table 7: SI prefixes
  7. "法定度量衡單位及前綴詞" (PDF). bsmi.gov.tw. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2024.
  8. "《重編國語辭典修訂本》臺灣學術網路第六版 ("Revised Edition of the Chinese Dictionary" Taiwan Academic Network Sixth Edition)". 中華民國教育部 (Ministry of Education of the Republic of China).
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