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Jin (mass)

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"Catty" redirects here. For other uses, see Catty (disambiguation).
Jin
Unit systemChinese
Unit ofMass
Symbol斤
Conversions
1 斤 in ...... is equal to ...
   Mainland China
   0.5 kg
   Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
   0.6 kg
   Vietnam
   0.6045 kg
   Hong Kong
   0.60478982 kg
   Malaysia
   0.60479 kg
   Singapore
   0.6048 kg
Conversions (imperial)
1 imp 斤 in ...... is equal to ...
   Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore   ⁠1+1/3⁠ lb
Jin
Chinese name
Chinese斤
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinjīn
Wade–Gileschin
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationgàn
Jyutpinggan1
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ
  • kin
  • kun
Vietnamese name
Vietnamesecân
Korean name
Hangul근
Hanja斤
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationgeun
Japanese name
Kanji斤
Hiraganaきん
Transcriptions
Romanizationkin
Malay name
Malaykati
Manchu name
Manchu scriptᡤᡳᠩᡤᡝᠨ
Möllendorffginggen

The jin (Chinese: 斤; pinyin: jīn)[a] or catty (from Malay kati) is a traditional Chinese unit of mass used across East and Southeast Asia, notably for weighing food and other groceries. Related units include the picul (dan/shi), equal to 100 catties, and the tael (liang), which is 1⁄16 of a catty. A stone (also dan/shi) is a former unit used in Hong Kong equal to 120 catties and a gwan (鈞) is 30 catties. Catty or kati is still used in Southeast Asia as a unit of measurement in some contexts especially by the significant Overseas Chinese populations across the region, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore.

The catty is traditionally equivalent to around 1+1⁄3 pound avoirdupois, formalised as 604.78982 grams in Hong Kong,[1] 604.5 grams historically in Vietnam,[2] 604.79 grams in Malaysia[3] and 604.8 grams in Singapore.[4] In some countries, the weight has been rounded to 600 grams (Taiwan,[5] Japan, Korea[6] and Thailand). In mainland China, the catty (more commonly translated as jin within China) has been rounded to 500 grams and is referred to as the market catty (市斤 shìjīn) in order to distinguish it from the kilogram, called the common catty (公斤 gōngjīn), and it is subdivided into 10 taels rather than the usual 16.

History

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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 etc. 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 where the idiom "half a jin vs eight liang"[b][7] comes from.[8][9]

jin values throughout Chinese history
Dynasty Metric grams (g)
Pre-Qin[10] 250
Qin 253
Western Han 248
Eastern Han, Three Kingdoms, Jin 220
Northern and Southern dynasties
Sui 661 ("large system"), 220 ("small system")
Tang dynasty 661
Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty 633
Ming dynasty, Qing dynasty 590

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 dan. 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 late-Qing jin was 596.816 grams according to the Beiyang government, which equaled 16 liangs.[12]

China Mainland

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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][13]

Table of Chinese mass units promulgated in 1915[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]
Market-unit system
A traditional Chinese scale
Chinese市制
Literal meaningmarket system
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinshìzhì
Wade–Gilesshih-chih
Alternative Chinese name
Chinese市用制
Literal meaningmarket-use system
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinshìyòngzhì
Wade–Gilesshih-yung-chih

On 16 February 1929, the Nationalist government adopted and promulgated The Weights and Measures Act[14] 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.[15]

Table of mass units in the Republic of China since 1930[15]
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."[16]

Table of mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959[16]
Pinyin Character 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
dàn 市擔 100 50 kg 110.2 lb picul or Chinese hundredweight

Legally, 1 jin equals 500 grams, and 10 liang equals 1 jin (that is, 1 liang equals 50 grams). The traditional Chinese medicine measurement system remains unchanged.[16]

Mass units in traditional Chinese medicine

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Until 1979, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) generally kept the division of 16 liang in 1 (500-gram) jin. In 1979, the State Council of China issued an order to switch to metric units for the trade of TCM. Previously-used qian is to be treated as exactly 3 grams, with other units derived from the 1/16-jin liang scaled accordingly.[17]

Weight units in ancient TCM prescriptions should be interpreted using the metric (gram) conversions appropriate for the era (see above), not any modern version of these units.[18]

Taiwan

[edit]
Fruits sold in jin (斤) in a Taiwanese market

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 Taiwan 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.[19]

Table of units of mass in Taiwan
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/Chin 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

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Hong Kong and Macau mass units

[edit]

According to the original Hong Kong law, Article 22 of 1884, one jin is 1 and 1⁄3 British 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 0.604 789 82 kilograms.[1] (0.604 789 82 kg divided by 4⁄3 is 0.453 592 65 kg, the 1878 definition of the British Avoirdupois pound.)

Table of Chinese mass units in Hong Kong[1] and Macau[20]
Jyutping Character English Portuguese Relative value Relation to the Traditional Chinese Units (Macau) Metric value Imperial value Notes
lei4 厘 li, cash liz 1⁄16000 1⁄10 condorim 37.79931 mg 0.02133 dr
fan1 分 fen, candareen (fan) condorim 1⁄1600 1⁄10 maz 377.9936375 mg 0.2133 dr
cin4 錢 qian, mace (tsin) maz 1⁄160 1⁄10 tael 3.779936375 g 2.1333 dr
loeng2 兩 liang, leung, tael tael 1⁄16 1⁄16 cate 37.79936375 g 1.3333 oz 604.78982/16=37.79936375
gan1 斤 jin, kan, catty cate 1 1⁄100 pico 604.78982 g 1.3333 lb Hong Kong and Macau share the definition.
daam3 擔 dan, tam, picul pico 100 None 60.478982 kg 133.3333 lb Hong Kong and Macau share the definition.

Hong Kong troy units

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These are used for trading precious metals such as gold and silver, defined around the British troy weight system.

Table of mass (Hong Kong troy) units[21]
English Character Relative value Metric value Imperial value Notes
fen (candareen) troy 金衡分 1⁄100 374.29 mg 0.096 drt
qian (mace) troy 金衡錢 1⁄10 3.7429 g 0.96 drt
liang (tael) troy 金衡兩 1 37.429 g 1.2 ozt

Malaysia and Singapore

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Malaysia has the same regulations as it is a former British colony. The rounding is slightly different, as 0.604 79 kg.

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 kg.[4]

Japan

[edit]
Table of units of mass [22][23]
Unit Kan 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 分 1⁄10,000 ⁠3/8000⁠ kg 375 mg ⁠37,500/45,359,237⁠ lb 5.787 gr
Momme
Monme 		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 斤 4⁄25 ⁠3/5⁠ kg 600 g ⁠60,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb 1.323 lb
Kan(me) 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 担 or 擔 16 60 kg ⁠6,000,000,000/45,359,237⁠ lb 132.3 lb
Notes:
  • Exact figures follow the 1891 Law of Weights & Measures and 1959 International Yard and Pound Agreement.
  • Metric values are exact. US & imperial approximations are rounded to four significant figures.

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 Japanese Bread Fair Trade Council, a jin only needs to be more than 340 grams. Therefore, 510 grams can be called 1.5 jins.[24]

Korea

[edit]

The base unit of Korean weight is the gwan.[25] At the time of Korea's metrification, however, the Geun or Korean pound, was in more common use. It was usually taken as equivalent to 600 g.[26] The nyang also sees some use among Korea's vendors of traditional Chinese medicine.[27]

Romanization Korean English Equivalents
RR MR Other Gwan[28] 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[29] Ton 돈 1⁄1,000 Momme[28] 3.75 g (0.132 oz)[28]
Nyang Nyang Ryang[30]Yang[28] 냥(兩) Korean ounce 1⁄100 Tael 37.5 g (1.32 oz)[28]
Geun Kŭn Keun[28] Kon[31] 근(斤) Korean pound 4⁄25 (meat),

1⁄10 (others)

Jin, Catty[31] 600 g (21 oz) (meat),[28][32]375 g (13.2 oz) (others)
Gwan Kwan 관(貫) 1 3.75 kg (8.3 lb)[28][32]

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:[33]

Early 20th-century units of weight
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[34] 302.25 kg 5 tạ 500 kg obsolete
tạ 榭 60.45 kg 10 yến 100 kg 10 yến
bình[34] 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").[35]

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:[36]

  • 市斤 (Chinese jin; character-by-character translation: "market jin"): Or simply called jin, also called "Chinese pound", is a traditional Chinese unit of weight. In the "market unit" (市制) adopted since 1930 in Mainland China, a jin equals 500 grams.
  • 公斤 (kilogram, literally "common jin"): An international metric unit, equivalent to 1000 grams.[36]
  • 磅 (pound, "pound"): A British Imperial unit, about 453.6 grams.

1 Chinese jin = 0.5 kilograms = 1.1023 pounds in Mainland China.[36]

Society and culture

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Etymology

[edit]

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.

Chinese idioms

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Alternatively romanized as gan in Cantonese, kin in Taiwanese Hokkian and Japanese, geun in Korean.
  2. ^ Idiom, 半斤八兩, (chiefly derogatory) six of one, half a dozen of the other; not much to choose between the two

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Weights and Measures Ordinance". Laws of Hong Kong.
  2. ^ "Vietnam, weights". Historical Vietnamese measurements of mass.
  3. ^ "Weights and Measures Act 1972". Laws of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01.
  4. ^ a b "Weights and Measures Act". Statutes of the Republic of Singapore.
  5. ^ Weights and Measures in Use in Taiwan Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine from the Republic of China Yearbook – Taiwan 2001.
  6. ^ "Regulation on Approval and Notification of Herbal (crude) Medicinal Preparations, Etc". Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
  7. ^ https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/半斤八兩
  8. ^ "司马 (Sima)" (in Chinese). 在线新华字典 (Xinhua Dictionary on Line).
  9. ^ 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: Commercial Press.
  10. ^ 《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.
  11. ^ 莫文暢 (Mo Wenchang). 唐字音英語 (Chinese chareacter pronunciation in English) (in Chinese). Event occurs at Early 20th century.
  12. ^ 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)
  13. ^ the Statistical Office of the United Nations in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (ed.). "World weights and measures; handbook for statisticians". p. 48.
  14. ^ "The Weights and Measures Act: Legislative History". Ministry of Justice (Republic of China).
  15. ^ a b "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)". Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
  16. ^ a b c the State Council of the People's Republic of China (1959). "国务院关于统一我国计量制度的命令 （Order of the State Council on unifying the national measurement system, No. 180 ）" (PDF) (in Chinese). pp. 311–312. HTML
  17. ^ ZHENG, Ying; CHEN, Ang; LIU, Haipeng. "以北京为例简述上世纪 70 年代中医处方用药计量单位改革情形" [Taking Beijing as an example, a brief description of the reform of TCM prescription measurement units in the 1970s] (PDF). weighment.com (in Chinese).
  18. ^ "古今中药计量换算". 中国药业官方网站.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "第14/92/M號法律 (Law No. 14/92/M)" (in Chinese). Government of Macau.
  21. ^ Cap. 68 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE
  22. ^ Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
  23. ^ *Nagase-Reimer, Keiko (2016), Copper in the Early Modern Sino-Japanese Trade, Monies, Markets, and Finance in East Asia, 1600–1900, Vol. VII, Leiden: Brill, p. xiii, ISBN 9789004304512
  24. ^ 日本パン公正取引協議会：包装食パンの斤表示の義務化 (Japan Bread Fair Trade Council: Labeling of loaf size on packaged bread mandatory). www.pan-koutorikyo.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  25. ^ Kim, Jun Hee (March 2007), "Taking Measure", Invest Korea Journal, vol. 25, Seoul: Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency
  26. ^ "S. Korea Determined to Introduce Metric System", The Hankyoreh, Seoul: The Hankyoreh Media Co, 22 July 2007
  27. ^ B., Paul (21 February 2011), "Measurements", An Acorn in the Dog's Food, LiveJournal.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h World Weights and Measures: Handbook for Statisticians, ST/STAT/SER. M/21, UN Publication No. 1955.XVII.2, New York, NY: Statistical Office of the United Nations, 1955, p. III-59.
  29. ^ Fessley, Susanna (2009), "Weights and Measures in East Asian Studies" (PDF), Albany: State University of New York, p. 7
  30. ^ Grayson, James Huntley (2001). Myths and Legends from Korea: An Annotated Compendium of Ancient and Modern Materials. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 219. ISBN 9780700712410.
  31. ^ a b Rowlett, Russ (2002). "How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement". Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina. p. K.
  32. ^ a b Fessley (2009), p. 7.
  33. ^ "Vietnam, units of mass". Sizes. Sizes, Inc. 2005-12-28.
  34. ^ a b Manuel de conversation française-annamite [French-Annamite conversation manual] (in French). Saigon: Imprimerie de la Mission. 1911. pp. 175–178.
  35. ^ "binh". Sizes. Sizes, Inc. 2004-01-23.
  36. ^ 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.
[edit]

From Chinese Wikipedia:

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