Jin (mass)
| Jin | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A traditional Chinese scale | |||||||||
| Chinese | 市制 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | market system | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||
| Chinese | 市用制 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | market-use system | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Jin (Chinese: 斤; pinyin: jīn), or gan in Cantonese, also called "Chinese pound" or "catty"[a], is a traditional Chinese unit for weight measurement in East Asia. It originated in China mainland before being introduced to neighboring countries. Nowaday, the mass of 1 jin ranges between 500 to 610 grams in different places: 500 grams in mainland China,[2] 600 grams in Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Thailand, [3] [4] 604.78982 grams in Hong Kong,[5] and 604.8 grams in Singapore and Malaysia.[6] [7] The Jin system is mostly used in the traditional markets, and famous for measuring gold, silver and Chinese medicines. [2] [4]
History
[edit]China has been using its weight measurement systems since the Zhou Dynasty, mostly with jin as the base unit. In ancient China, there was an official post called "Sima" (司馬) in charge of the military affairs. Because the management of military grain and fodder involved plenty of weighing, the units of jin, liang, qian, fen eit. were also called as "Sima Jin" (司馬斤), "Sima Liang", etc. And the measuring tools were called "Sima Scales" (司馬秤). This is still true in today's Hong Kong. One Sima jin is equal to sixteen Sima liang, which is how the idiom "half a jin vs eight liangs" [b] comes from. [8][9]
| Unit name | Alias | Weight | Metric conversion (approximated to today’s grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| zhu (銖) | 朱 | 100 shu (黍) | 0.65g |
| liang (兩) | 24铢 | 15.625g（or 15.8g） | |
| jin (斤) | 16两 | 250g | |
| jun (鈞) | 匀 | 30斤 | 7500g |
| shi (石) | 䄷 | 120斤 | 30000g |
| Dynasty | Unit conversion | Metric conversion (grams g) |
|---|---|---|
| Qin (秦) | 1 shi (石)＝4 jun (鈞)；1 jun (鈞)＝30 jin (斤)；1 jin (斤)＝16 liang (兩)；1 liang (兩)＝24 zhu (銖) | 1 shi (石)＝30360g；1 jun (鈞)＝7590g；1 jin (斤)＝253g；1 liang (兩)＝15.8g；1zhu (銖)＝0.66g |
| Han (漢) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝24銖 | West Han (西漢)：1石＝29760；1鈞＝7440；1斤＝248；1兩＝15.5；1銖＝0.65 East Han (東漢)：1石＝26400；1鈞＝6600；1斤＝220；1兩＝13.8；1銖＝0.57 |
| Three Kingdoms (三國) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝24銖 | 1石＝26400；1鈞＝6600；1斤＝220；1兩＝13.8；1銖＝0.57 |
| Jin (兩晉) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝24銖 | 1石＝26400；1鈞＝6600；1斤＝220；1兩＝13.8；1銖＝0.57 |
| Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝24銖 | South Qi (南齊)：1斤＝330；Liang & Chen (梁、陳)：1斤＝220； North Wei & North Qi (北魏、北齊)：1斤＝440；North Zhou (北周)：1斤＝660 |
| Sui (隋) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝24銖 | big (大)：1石＝79320；1鈞＝19830；1斤＝661；1兩＝41.3 small (小)：1石＝26400；1鈞＝6600；1斤＝220；1兩＝13.8 |
| Tand (唐) | 1石＝4鈞；1鈞＝30斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝10 qian (錢)；1錢＝10 fen (分) | 1石＝79320；1斤＝661；1兩＝41.3；1錢＝4.13；1分＝0.41 |
| Song & Yuan (宋元) | 1石＝120斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝10錢；1錢＝10分 | 1石＝75960；1斤＝633；1兩＝40；1錢＝4；1分＝0.4 |
| Ming & Qing (明清) | 1石＝120斤；1斤＝16兩；1兩＝10錢；1錢＝10分 | 1石＝70800；1斤＝590；1兩＝36.9；1錢＝3.69；1分＝0.37 |
The actual mass of the jin has changed in different eras and regions, but its ratio to other relevant units remains unchanged. One jin is equal to sixteen liangs, or 1/120 of a shi. Starting from the late Qing Dynasty, jin was also written in English as catty or kan based on the sounds of Malay language.[11]
Before the Qing Dynasty, various regions and industries in China had their own weight standards for jin and liang. During the Qing Dynasty, unified weights and measures were implemented. One jin was approximately 596.816 grams, which equaled 16 liangs.[12]
China Mainland
[edit]Chinese mass units promulgated in 1915
[edit]On 7 January 1915, the Beiyang government promulgated a measurement law to use not only metric system as the standard but also a set of Chinese-style measures based directly on the Qing dynasty definitions (营造尺库平制).[12]
| Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| háo | 毫 | 1⁄10000 | 3.7301 mg | 0.0001316 oz | |
| lí | 釐 | 1⁄1000 | 37.301 mg | 0.001316 oz | cash |
| fēn | 分 | 1⁄100 | 373.01 mg | 0.01316 oz | candareen |
| qián | 錢 | 1⁄10 | 3.7301 g | 0.1316 oz | mace or Chinese dram |
| liǎng | 兩 | 1 | 37.301 g | 1.316 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
| jīn | 斤 | 16 | 596.816 g | 1.316 lb | catty or Chinese pound |
where liang is the base unit.
Mass units in the Republic of China since 1930
[edit]On 16 February 1929, the Nationalist government adopted and promulgated The Weights and Measures Act[13] to adopt the metric system as the official standard and to limit the newer Chinese units of measurement to private sales and trade, effective on 1 January 1930. These newer "market" units are based on rounded metric numbers. And jin became the base unit.[14]
| Pinyin | Character | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sī | 絲 | 1⁄1600000 | 312.5 μg | 0.00001102 oz | |
| háo | 毫 | 1⁄160000 | 3.125 mg | 0.0001102 oz | |
| lí | 市釐 | 1⁄16000 | 31.25 mg | 0.001102 oz | cash |
| fēn | 市分 | 1⁄1600 | 312.5 mg | 0.01102 oz | candareen |
| qián | 市錢 | 1⁄160 | 3.125 g | 0.1102 oz | mace or Chinese dram |
| liǎng | 市兩 | 1⁄16 | 31.25 g | 1.102 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
| jīn | 市斤 | 1 | 500 g | 1.102 lb | catty or Chinese pound |
| dàn | 擔 | 100 | 50 kg | 110.2 lb | picul or Chinese hundredweight |
Mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959
[edit]On June 25, 1959, the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the Order on the Unified Measurement System, retaining the market system, with the statement of "The market system originally stated that sixteen liangs are equal to one jin. Due to the trouble of conversion, it should be changed to ten liangs per jin. "[15]
| Pinyin | Character[16] | Relative value | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lí | 市厘 | 1⁄10000 | 50 mg | 0.001764 oz | cash |
| fēn | 市分 | 1⁄1000 | 500 mg | 0.01764 oz | candareen |
| qián | 市錢 | 1⁄100 | 5 g | 0.1764 oz | mace or Chinese dram |
| liǎng | 市兩 | 1⁄10 | 50 g | 1.764 oz | tael or Chinese ounce |
| jīn | 市斤 | 1 | 500 g | 1.102 lb | catty or Chinese pound formerly 16 liang = 1 jin |
| dàn | 市擔 | 100 | 50 kg | 110.2 lb | picul or Chinese hundredweight |
Legally, 1 jin equals 500 grams, and 10 liangs equals 1 jin (that is, 1 liang equals 50 grams). The traditional Chinese medicine measurement system remains unchanged (that is, 1 jin is 605 grams, and 16 liang is 1 jin).[2]
Taiwan
[edit]
The jin, or kin, in Taiwan is called "Taiwan jin" or Taijin (台斤). The so-called Taijin is actually the jin used throughout China during the Qing Dynasty. In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan. The Japanese implemented the metric system, but the Taiwanese still followed their own habits and continued to use the old weights and measures. When mainland China no longer used the old system of the Qing Dynasty, the old system of weights used in Taiwan naturally became the so-called "Taiwan system." 1 Taiwan jin is 600 grams, which is equal to 16 Taiwan liang, and 1 Taiwan liang is equal to 37.5 grams. [17]
| Unit | Relative value | Metric | US & Imperial | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwanese Hokkien | Hakka | Mandarin | Character | Legal | Decimal | Exact | Approx. | ||
| Lî | Lî | Lí | 釐 | 1⁄1000 | 3/80,000 kg | 37.5 mg | 3750/45,359,237 lb | 0.5787 gr | Cash; Same as Japanese Rin |
| Hun | Fûn | Fēn | 分 | 1⁄100 | 3/8000 kg | 375 mg | 37,500/45,359,237 lb | 5.787 gr | Candareen; Same as Japanese Fun |
| Chîⁿ | Chhièn | Qián | 錢 | 1⁄10 | 3/800 kg | 3.75 g | 375,000/45,359,237 lb | 2.116 dr | Mace; Same as Japanese Momme (匁) |
| Niú | Liông | Liǎng | 兩 | 1 | 3/80 kg | 37.5 g | 3,750,000/45,359,237 lb | 21.16 dr | Tael |
| Kin/Kun | Kîn | Jīn | 斤 | 16 | 3/5 kg | 600 g | 60,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 1.323 lb | Catty; Same as Japanese Kin |
| Tàⁿ | Tâm | Dàn | 擔 | 1600 | 60 kg | 6,000,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 132.3 lb | Picul; Same as Japanese Tan | |
Hong Kong and Macau
[edit]According to the original Hong Kong law, Article 22 of 1884, one jin is 1 and 1⁄3 pounds (that is, 3 jins is equal to 4 pounds). Currently, Hong Kong law stipulates that one jin is equal to one hundredth of a dan or sixteen liangs, which is 0.60478982 kilograms.[5]
| Jyutping | Character | English | Portuguese | Relative value | Relation to the Traditional Chinese Units (Macau) | Metric value | Imperial value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lei4 | 厘 | cash | liz | 1⁄16000 | 1⁄10 condorim | 37.79931 mg | 0.02133 dr | |
| fan1 | 分 | candareen (fan) | condorim | 1⁄1600 | 1⁄10 maz | 377.9936375 mg | 0.2133 dr | |
| cin4 | 錢 | mace (tsin) | maz | 1⁄160 | 1⁄10 tael | 3.779936375 g | 2.1333 dr | |
| loeng2 | 兩 | tael (leung, liang) | tael | 1⁄16 | 1⁄16 cate | 37.79936375 g | 1.3333 oz | 604.78982/16=37.79936375 |
| gan1 | 斤 | catty (kan, jin) | cate | 1 | 1⁄100 pico | 604.78982 g | 1.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
| daam3 | 擔 | picul (tam, dan) | pico | 100 | None | 60.478982 kg | 133.3333 lb | Hong Kong and Macau share the definition. |
Similarly, Singapore law stipulates that one jin, or "catty", is also equal to 1 1⁄3 pounds, which is equal to sixteen liangs (or "taels") or 0.6048 kilograms.[6] Malaysia has the same regulations as it is a former British colony. The word "catty" comes from Malay kati, meaning "the weight". It has also been borrowed into English as caddy, meaning "a container for storing tea".
Japan
[edit]In Japan, 1 jin, or kin in Japanese pronunciation, is equal to 600 grams, but it is rarely used. The exception is the jin that is currently measured by the large piece of bread (food bread) before slicing the toast. According to the fair competition regulations of the Japan Bread Fair Trade Council (Japanese Bread Fair Trade Council), a jin only needs to be more than 340 grams. Therefore, 510 grams can be called 1.5 jins. [19]
The base unit of Japanese mass is the kan, although the momme is more common. It is a recognised unit in the international pearl industry.[20] In English-speaking countries, momme is typically abbreviated as mo.
| Unit | Kan[22] | Metric | US & Imperial | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanised | Kanji | Legal | Decimal | Exact | Approx. | |||||||
| Mō | 毛 or 毫 | 1⁄1,000,000 | 3/800,000 kg | 3.75 mg | 375/45,359,237 lb | 8.267 μlb | ||||||
| Rin | 厘 | 1⁄100,000 | 3/80,000 kg | 37.5 mg | 3750/45,359,237 lb | 0.5787 gr | ||||||
| Fun[c] | 分 | 1⁄10,000 | 3/8000 kg | 375 mg | 37,500/45,359,237 lb | 5.787 gr | ||||||
| Momme Monme[d] |
匁 | 1⁄1000 | 3/800 kg | 3.75 g | 375,000/45,359,237 lb | 2.116 dr | ||||||
| Hyakume | 百目 | 1⁄10 | 3/8 kg | 375 g | 37,500,000/45,359,237 lb | 13.23 oz | ||||||
| Kin[e] | 斤 | 4⁄25 | 3/5 kg | 600 g | 60,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 1.323 lb | ||||||
| Kan(me)[f] | 貫(目) | 1 | 15/4 kg | 3.75 kg | 375,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 8.267 lb | ||||||
| Maru | 丸 | 8 | 30 kg | 3,000,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 66.14 lb | |||||||
| Tan[g] | 担 or 擔 | 16 | 60 kg | 6,000,000,000/45,359,237 lb | 132.3 lb | |||||||
Notes:
| ||||||||||||
Korea
[edit]The base unit of Korean weight is the gwan.[29] At the time of Korea's metrification, however, the pound was in more common use. Although it was usually taken as equivalent to 600 g,[30] as with red pepper and meats,[31][32] a separate pound of 400 g was used for fruits[31][32] and another of 375[29] or 200 g was used for vegetables.[31] The nyang also sees some use among Korea's vendors of traditional Chinese medicine.[33]
The "bag" (kama) was a variable unit usually figured as 54 kg of unhusked rice or 60 kg of polished rice, although 90 kg "bags" were also used.[34]
| Romanization | Korean | English | Equivalents | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RR | MR[35] | Other | Gwan[36] | Other countries | Global | ||
| Ho | Ho | 호(毫) | 1⁄1,000,000 | 3.75 mg (0.0579 gr) | |||
| Mo | Mo | 모(毛) | |||||
| Ri | Ri | 리(釐/厘) | 1⁄100,000 | 0.0375 g (0.00132 oz) | |||
| Pun | P'un | 푼 | 1⁄10,000 | 0.375 g (0.0132 oz) | |||
| Bun | Pun | 분(分) | |||||
| Don[37] | Ton | 돈 | 1⁄1,000 | Momme[36] | 3.75 g (0.132 oz)[36] | ||
| Nyang | Nyang | Ryang[38]Yang[36] | 냥(兩) | Korean ounce | 1⁄100 | Tael | 37.5 g (1.32 oz)[36] |
| Geun | Kŭn | Keun[36] Kon[39] | 근(斤) | Korean pound | 4⁄25 (meat),
1⁄10 (others) |
Jin, Catty[39] | 600 g (21 oz) (meat),[36][37]375 g (13.2 oz) (others) |
| Gwan | Kwan | 관(貫) | 1 | 3.75 kg (8.3 lb)[36][37] | |||
Vietnam
[edit]In Vietnam, the unit of jin is called "cân ta": 1 Sima jin (cân ta) = 0.6046 kilograms = 604.6 grams.
The following table lists common units of weight in Vietnam in the early 20th century:[40]
| Name in Chữ Quốc ngữ | Hán/Nôm name | Traditional value | Traditional conversion | Modern value | Modern conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tấn | 擯 | 604.5 kg | 10 tạ | 1 000 kg | 10 tạ |
| quân[41] | 302.25 kg | 5 tạ | 500 kg | obsolete | |
| tạ | 榭 | 60.45 kg | 10 yến | 100 kg | 10 yến |
| bình[41] | 30.225 kg | 5 yến | 50 kg | obsolete | |
| yến | 6.045 kg | 10 cân | 10 kg | 10 cân | |
| cân | 斤 | 604.5 g | 16 lạng | 1 kg | 10 lạng |
| nén | 378 g | 10 lạng | |||
| lạng | 兩 | 37.8 g | 10 đồng | 100 g | |
| đồng or tiền | 錢 | 3.78 g | 10 phân | ||
| phân | 分 | 0.38 g | 10 ly | ||
| ly or li | 厘 | 37.8 mg | 10 hào | ||
| hào | 毫 | 3.8 mg | 10 ti | ||
| ti | 絲 | 0.4 mg | 10 hốt | ||
| hốt | 忽 | 0.04 mg | 10 vi | ||
| vi | 微 | 0.004 mg |
Notes:
- The cân (lit. "scale") is also called cân ta ("our scale") to distinguish it from the kilogram (cân tây, "Western scale").[42]
Jin, pound and kilogram
[edit]The three mass units of "jin", "pound" and "kilogram" are all currently used in China. Their meanings and conversions in Mainland China are as follows:[43]
- 市斤 (Chinese jin; character-by-character translation: "market jin"): Or simply called jin, is a traditional Chinese unit of weight, equals 500 grams.
- 公斤 (kilogram, "common jin"): An international metric unit, equivalent to 1000 grams.[43]
- 磅 (pound, "pound"): A British Imperial unit, about 453.6 grams.
1 Chinese jin =0.5 kilograms = 1.1023 pounds in Mainland China.[43]
See also
[edit]- Chinese units of measurement
- Hong Kong units of measurement
- Taiwanese units of measurement
- Japanese units of measurement
- Korean units of measurement
- Vietnamese units of measurement
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Catty" is an English translation of Chinese word "斤" (jin) according to its sounds in Malay-Javanese, before Pinyin and Jyutping were available.[1]
- ^ Idiom, 半斤八兩, (chiefly derogatory) six of one, half a dozen of the other; not much to choose between the two
- ^ The fun is more often known in English as the candareen.[23] It also sometimes appears as the kondúrí or konderi.[24]
- ^ Although monme is the Revised Hepburn romanization of the unit, momme is more common in English.[25] It also sometimes appears as the mommé, me,[citation needed] or mas.[24]
- ^ Particularly in historical sources, the kin is more commonly known in English as the catty[26] or katí.[24]
- ^ The kan is also sometimes known in English as the kwan.[27]
- ^ Particularly in historical sources, the tan is more commonly known in English as the picul,[28] pikul, or pikel.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ "Oxford English Dictionary".
- ^ a b c d (in Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, pages 311 to 312
- ^ Weights and Measures in Use in Taiwan Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine from the Republic of China Yearbook – Taiwan 2001.
- ^ a b "Regulation on Approval and Notification of Herbal (crude) Medicinal Preparations, Etc". Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
- ^ a b c "Weights and Measures Ordinance". Laws of Hong Kong.
- ^ a b "Weights and Measures Act". Statutes of the Republic of Singapore.
- ^ "Weights and Measures Act 1972". Laws of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01.
- ^ "司马 (Sima)" (in Chinese). 在线新华字典 (Xinhua Dictionary on Line).
- ^ 黄文照，张云然编 (Huang Wenzhao and Zhang Yuenran., ed. (2007). 中外计量换算手册[M] (Handbook of conversion between measurement units in China and abroad) (in Chinese). Beijing: 中国商务出版社 (China Business Press).
- ^ 《中国钱币大辞典》编纂委 (Editorial Committee of the Chinese Coin Dictionary) (December 1995). 中国钱币大辞典·先秦篇 (Chinese Coin Dictionary·Pre-Qin Period). 中华书局 (Zhonghua Book Company). ISBN 9787101012415.
- ^ 莫文暢. 唐字音英語. Event occurs at 20世紀初.
- ^ a b c "權度法 [Quándù Fǎ]", 政府公報 [Zhèngfǔ Gōngbào, Government Gazette], vol. 957, Beijing: Office of the President, 7 January 1915, pp. 85–94 (in Chinese)
- ^ "The Weights and Measures Act: Legislative History". Ministry of Justice (Republic of China).
- ^ a b "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)". Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
- ^ "国务院关于统一我国计量制度的命令 (Order of the State Council on unifying my country's measurement system)". Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
- ^ (in Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, page 316
- ^ Andrade, Tonio (2005). "Appendix A: Weights, Measures, and Exchange Rates". How Taiwan Became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han Colonization in the Seventeenth Century. Columbia University Press.
- ^ Law No. 14/92/M ((in Chinese) 第14/92/M號法律; (in Portuguese) Lei n.o 14/92/M)
- ^ 日本パン公正取引協議会：包装食パンの斤表示の義務化. www.pan-koutorikyo.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
- ^ Winterson Limited (April 2004). "What is a Pearl Momme?". Retrieved 7 February 2019.
For these larger lots, pearls are sold by mass and the unit commonly used is the momme, a traditional Japanese unit equal to 3.75 grams. [...] For larger lots of pearls, auctioneers may use the kan, which is equal to 1,000 momme.
- ^ Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
- ^ Nagase-Reimer (2016), p. xiii.
- ^ OED, "candareen, n.".
- ^ a b c d Renouard (1845), p. 486.
- ^ OED, "momme, n.".
- ^ OED, "catty, n.¹".
- ^ USWD (1944), p. 400.
- ^ OED, "picul, n.".
- ^ a b Kim (2007).
- ^ HMC & 22 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Jo (2006).
- ^ a b Kim (2015).
- ^ B., Paul (21 February 2011), "Measurements", An Acorn in the Dog's Food, LiveJournal.
- ^ Sorensen (1988), p. 280.
- ^ Ledyard (1994), p. 285.
- ^ a b c d e f g h UN (1955), III-59.
- ^ a b c Fessley (2009), p. 7.
- ^ Grayson (2001), p. 219.
- ^ a b Rowlett (2002), "K".
- ^ "Vietnam, units of mass". Sizes. Sizes, Inc. 2005-12-28.
- ^ a b Manuel de conversation française-annamite [French-Annamite conversation manual] (in French). Saigon: Imprimerie de la Mission. 1911. pp. 175–178.
- ^ "binh". Sizes. Sizes, Inc. 2004-01-23.
- ^ a b c Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2016). 现代汉语词典 (附錄：計量單位表) [Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Appendix: Measure units)] (in Chinese) (7th ed.). Beijing: Commercial Press. p. 1790. ISBN 978-7-100-12450-8.