About
The character "吨" functions as a modern unit of mass, the metric ton, but its history involves a significant structural substitution. Its traditional counterpart is written as 噸, which is a phono-semantic compound combining the mouth radical 口, suggesting a connection to speech or sound, with 頓 (dùn) serving as the phonetic component. This character 噸 was initially used in earlier Chinese texts not for weight, but as an onomatopoeic representation for a heavy sound like a thud or boom. The semantic shift to denote a specific unit of measurement was a later development, borrowed for its phonetic value to translate the Western concept of a "ton". The simplified form 吨 replaced the complex phonetic 頓 with the simpler and more phonetically reliable 屯 (tún), retaining the mouth radical but creating a more streamlined character focused solely on its role as a measurement, thereby completing its transition from a mimetic word to a precise technical term.
Example Sentences Hide
这辆车重五吨。
我们买了三吨苹果。
这座桥能承重十吨。
工厂每月消耗千吨水。
货轮装载了万吨货物。
今年的粮食产量增加了数吨。
由于技术改进，吨钢耗电量下降了。
该矿区已探明储量达亿吨，但年开采量仅百万吨。