Chinese unit

In measurement, Chinese units (市制 Pinyin: Sh�zh�, "city standard") are the units used in Imperial China, and are still used. The word "city" (市 shi4) is added in front of most of the units for distinction between SI units of the same name. For reference, the word "common/standard" (公 gong1) is added in front of SI units.

The Chinese units were standardized during the last century to make them convert nicely to SI units. Many of the units were formerly 16-based.

Note: The small units li (厘) and fen (分) have same name for length, area, and mass; however, they refer to different kinds of measurements.

Table of contents

1 Measures of length
2 Measures of area
3 Measures of mass
4 Measures of volume
5 Measures of time

Measures of length

1 li (市里) = 15 yin = 150 zhang
- this li is not the small li below, which has a different character and tone
1 yin (引) = 10 zhang
1 zhang (市丈) = 2 bu = 10 chi
1 bu (步) = 5 chi
1 chi (市尺) = 10 cun
1 cun (市寸) = 10 fen
1 fen (市分) = 10 li
1 li (市厘) = 10 hao
1 hao (毫) = 10 si
1 si （丝）= 10 hu
1 hu （忽）