noun HSK 4
scale · balance · weighing device
Meaning
秤 refers to a device used for weighing objects, ranging from traditional balance scales to modern electronic scales. It's a common everyday word used when discussing weight measurement in markets, homes, or commercial settings.
Usage
This word is frequently used in contexts involving buying and selling goods by weight, cooking, or measuring body weight. In markets, you'll often hear vendors using scales (秤) to weigh produce. The word is neutral in register and used across all social contexts.
Examples
- 01这个电子秤很准确，可以精确到克。, .This electronic scale is very accurate and can measure precisely to the gram.
- 02菜市场的老板用秤称了一下，这些苹果一共两斤。, .The market vendor weighed them on the scale; these apples are two jin in total.
Measure words
- 台一台秤
- 架一架秤
Common collocations
- 电子秤electronic scale
- 杆秤steelyard (traditional Chinese scale)
- 体重秤body weight scale
- 用秤称to weigh with a scale
Origin
The character 秤 is composed of the grain radical 禾 (hé) on the left, suggesting agricultural contexts where weighing grain was essential, and 平 (píng, meaning 'level/balanced') on the right, indicating the balance mechanism of traditional scales.