测

測

cè

则 + 氵

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

cè (verb) to measure; to survey

cè (verb) to estimate; to conjecture

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 则 represents the sound. Simplified form of 測.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 则

About

测, the simplified version of 測, is a phono-semantic compound: the left side 氵 (water) supplies the semantic category, while the right side 则 (zé) indicates the pronunciation. It originally denoted the act of measuring the depth of a body of water. Over time, this concrete meaning broadened first to include the measurement of any physical quantity and the surveying of land, then further extended to abstract mental operations, estimating, predicting, inferring, or guessing outcomes based on available information.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我们明天有测试。

Wǒmen míngtiān yǒu cèshì.

We have a test tomorrow.

医生正在测量病人的体温。

Yīshēng zhèngzài cèliàng bìngrén de tǐwēn.

The doctor is measuring the patient's body temperature.

科学家预测明天气温会下降。

Kēxuéjiā yùcè míngtiān qìwēn huì xiàjiàng.

Scientists predict that the temperature will drop tomorrow.

这个设备用于检测空气质量。

Zhège shèbèi yòngyú jiǎncè kōngqì zhìliàng.

This device is used to detect air quality.

通过观测数据，他们得出了结论。

Tōngguò guāncè shùjù, tāmen déchūle jiélùn.

Through observation data, they drew a conclusion.

根据现有证据，警方推测嫌疑人在本地。

Gēnjù xiànyǒu zhèngjù, jǐngfāng tuīcè xiányírén zài běndì.

Based on the available evidence, the police speculate that the suspect is local.

这个测评报告详细分析了产品的优缺点。

Zhège cèpíng bàogào xiángxì fēnxīle chǎnpǐn de yōu quēdiǎn.

This evaluation report provides a detailed analysis of the product's strengths and weaknesses.

地质队利用先进技术完成了这片区域的测绘工作。

Dìzhì duì lìyòng xiānjìn jìshù wánchéngle zhè piàn qūyù de cèhuì gōngzuò.

The geological team used advanced technology to complete the surveying and mapping of this area.

Related Characters

Component: 则

Component: 氵

测