寸

cùn

measure word HSK 5 #4,864

Meanings

1 a traditional Chinese unit of length (about 3.33 cm)
2 inch (informal usage)

Examples

一寸光阴一寸金。

Yí cùn guāngyīn yí cùn jīn.

An inch of time is worth an inch of gold.

她的照片是两寸的。

Tā de zhàopiàn shì liǎng cùn de.

Her photo is two inches.

得寸进尺。

Décùn-jìnchǐ.

Give him an inch and he'll take a mile.

Tips

culture

一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴 is a classic Chinese proverb: 'An inch of time is worth an inch of gold, but an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.' It teaches the preciousness of time.

usage

In modern usage, 寸 often refers to screen size in inches (e.g., 6.7寸屏幕, a 6.7-inch screen) or photo sizes (一寸照片, a 1-inch ID photo).

Components

pictograph

寸 cùn

Chinese inch; a small distance

Self-component. Shows a hand 又 with a small dot marking the 寸口, the pulse point on the wrist about a Chinese inch below the base of the palm. The dot is the pulse-mark, and the palm-to-pulse distance defines one cùn. 寸 is itself Kangxi radical 41 and indexes 对, 寻, 寺, 封.

Stroke Order