斤

See also: 觔 and 斥

斤 U+65A4, 斤 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-65A4 ← 斣 [U+65A3] CJK Unified Ideographs 斥 → [U+65A5]

⽄ U+2F44, ⽄ KANGXI RADICAL AXE ← ⽃ [U+2F43] Kangxi Radicals ⽅ → [U+2F45]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order

Han character

斤 (Kangxi radical 69, 斤+0, 4 strokes, cangjie input 竹一中 (HML), four-corner 7222₁, composition ⿸𠂆丅 or ⿸𠂋丨)

1. Kangxi radical #69, ⽄.

Derived characters

• Appendix:Chinese_radical/斤
• 伒, 𫥁, 𠦉, 听, 圻, 妡, 岓, 㠼, 𢏂, 忻, 折, 沂, 㹞, 𨸢, 近, 所, 𣁰, 𪯲, 昕, 析, 歽, 𭭜, 炘, 㸫, 𤤆, 肵, 𭅉, 祈, 盺, 𪿆, 𥝹, 𬔘, 𧘻, 䉼, 紤, 𦕄, 蚚, 𧣊, 訢(䜣), 𧯞, 𧵆, 赾, 𧿧, 𨠇, 𠒙, 釿(𬬱), 𭯐, 靳, 𩐙, 馸, 鬿, 𪷀, 䰺, 𬸻, 𪌍, 𪏴, 齗(龂), 𪛊
• 𫢍, 劤, 邤, 𢺼, 欣, 𣣒, 頎(颀), 䖐, 丘, 𠯓, 𢗹, 𡗲, 𡵱, 𪵮, 𣥍, 𥬊, 𩂋, 芹, 庍, 𤴾, 𢦲, 𨳜, 匠, 旂, 蘄(蕲)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 479, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13534
• Dae Jaweon: page 837, character 23
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2022, character 1
• Unihan data for U+65A4

Chinese

simp. and trad.		斤
alternative forms		釿／𬬱 “axe” 觔／斤 “catty”

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 斤
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (斤) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
蘄	*ɡɯ, *kɯl, *ɡɯn
祈	*ɡɯl
頎	*ɡɯl
旂	*ɡɯl
圻	*ɡɯl, *ŋɡɯːn, *ŋɡɯn
蚚	*ɡɯl, *ɡɯːls
岓	*ɡɯl
玂	*ɡɯl
沂	*ŋɡɯl
掀	*qʰan
釿	*ŋɡrɯnʔ, *ŋkɯn
齗	*ŋɡrɯnʔ, *ŋɡɯn
听	*ŋɡrɯnʔ, *ŋɡɯnʔ
垽	*ŋrɯns, *qɯns
斤	*kɯn, *kɯns
菦	*kɯnʔ
靳	*kɯns
劤	*kɯns
勁	*kɯns, *keŋs
赾	*kʰɯnʔ
芹	*ɡɯn
近	*ɡɯnʔ, *ɡɯns
斦	*ŋɡɯn
欣	*qʰɯn
忻	*qʰɯn
昕	*qʰɯn
訢	*qʰɯn
炘	*qʰɯn, *qʰɯns
邤	*qʰɯn
庍	*qʰɯns, *mpreːɡs
焮	*qʰɯns

Pictogram (象形) - an axe.

Etymology

ax

Unclear. Matisoff (2000) relates it to Proto-Lolo-Burmese *gyan (“pickax”); possibly also connected to Proto-Hmong-Mien *cwI:m (“axe”), Proto-Tai *xwaːnᴬ (“axe”) and/or Proto-Kam-Sui *kwan (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): jīn (jin¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җин (žin, I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gan¹
• Gan (Wiktionary): jin¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kîn

  (Hailu, HRS): gin^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): gin¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): jing¹
• Northern Min (KCR): gé̤ng
• Eastern Min (BUC): gṳ̆ng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kin / kirn / kun

  (Teochew, Peng'im): geng¹ / gêng¹ / ging¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹cin
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): jin¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jin
    • Wade–Giles: chin¹
    • Yale: jīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jin
    • Palladius: цзинь (czinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җин (žin, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕiŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gan¹
    • Yale: gān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gan¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɐn⁵⁵/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: jin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kîn
    • Hakka Romanization System: gin^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kin²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: gin^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /kin⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: gin¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kin⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: jing¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡ɕĩŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gé̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kœyŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gṳ̆ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kyŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kin
    • Tâi-lô: kin
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kyn
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Yilan): /kin⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Sanxia)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kirn
    • Tâi-lô: kirn
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Hsinchu, Kinmen, Magong, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kun
    • Tâi-lô: kun
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kwn
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen, Singapore): /kun⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kun³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: geng¹ / gêng¹ / ging¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kṳng / keng / king
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɯŋ³³/, /keŋ³³/, /kiŋ³³/

Note:

• geng1 - Chaozhou, Shantou, Chenghai;
• gêng - Jieyang;
• ging1 - Chaoyang.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹cin
    • MiniDict: cin^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹jin
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕin⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: jin¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin³³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 斤
Mandarin	Beijing	/t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/t͡ɕin⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/t͡ɕin²¹/
	Jinan	/t͡ɕiẽ²¹³/
	Qingdao	/t͡ɕiə̃²¹³/
	Zhengzhou	/t͡ɕin²⁴/
	Xi'an	/t͡ɕiẽ²¹/
	Xining	/t͡ɕiə̃⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/t͡ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/t͡ɕĩn³¹/
	Ürümqi	/t͡ɕiŋ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/t͡ɕĩ⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/t͡ɕin³¹/
	Hefei	/t͡ɕin²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/t͡ɕiəŋ¹¹/
	Pingyao	/t͡ɕiŋ¹³/
	Hohhot	/t͡ɕĩŋ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/t͡ɕiŋ⁵³/
	Suzhou	/t͡ɕin⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/t͡ɕin³³/
	Wenzhou	/t͡ɕaŋ³³/
Hui	Shexian	/t͡ɕiʌ̃³¹/
	Tunxi	/t͡ɕin¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/t͡ɕin³³/
	Xiangtan	/t͡ɕin³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/t͡ɕin⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/kin⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/kin²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɐn⁵³/
	Nanning	/kɐn⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɐn⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/kun⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/kyŋ⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kœyŋ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/kɯŋ³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/in²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: kj+n

Rime
Character	斤
Reading #	1/2
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	欣 (57)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	舉欣切
Baxter	kj+n
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɨn/
Pan Wuyun	/kɨn/
Shao Rongfen	/kiən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kɨn/
Li Rong	/kiən/
Wang Li	/kĭən/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯ən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jīn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gan1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ər/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kɯn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	斤
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jīn
Middle Chinese	‹ kjɨn ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ər/
English	axe; catty
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	斤
Reading #	1/2
No.	6649
Phonetic component	斤
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	斤
Old Chinese	/*kɯn/

Definitions

斤

1. catty, a unit of weight
   1. (Mainland China) catty or jin, a traditional unit of weight, equal to 0.5 kilograms
   2. (Hong Kong) catty or kan, a traditional unit of weight, legally defined as equal to 0.60478982 kilograms (公斤 or sometimes approximated as 500 grams)
   3. (Taiwan) catty, a traditional unit of weight, equal to 0.6 kilograms, also equal to 16 taels
2. (archaic) axe; hatchet

   匠石運斤成風，聽而斫之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
   匠石运斤成风，听而斫之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

   From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

   Jiàng Shí yùn jīn chéng fēng, tīng ér zhuó zhī. [Pinyin]

   (The artisan) Shi whirled his axe so as to produce a wind, which immediately carried off the mud entirely.

3. keen; shrewd

See also

• 擔／担 (dān), 兩／两 (liǎng), 錢／钱 (qián), 分 (fēn), 金衡兩／金衡两, 金衡錢／金衡钱, 金衡分
• 公斤 (gōngjīn), 克 (kè)
• 臺斤／台斤 (táijīn)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jīn (jin¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jin
    • Wade–Giles: chin¹
    • Yale: jīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jin
    • Palladius: цзинь (czinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: kj+nH

Rime
Character	斤
Reading #	2/2
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	欣 (57)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	居焮切
Baxter	kj+nH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɨnH/
Pan Wuyun	/kɨnH/
Shao Rongfen	/kiənH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kɨnH/
Li Rong	/kiənH/
Wang Li	/kĭənH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ki̯ənH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jìn
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gan3

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*kɯns/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	斤
Reading #	2/2
No.	6653
Phonetic component	斤
Rime group	文
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	靳
Old Chinese	/*kɯns/

Definitions

斤

1. Only used in 斤斤 (jīnjīn).

Compounds

• 不識斤兩／不识斤两
• 偷斤減兩／偷斤减两
• 八兩半斤／八两半斤
• 公斤 (gōngjīn)
• 分斤掰兩／分斤掰两
• 分斤撥兩／分斤拨两
• 分斤較兩／分斤较两
• 匠石運斤／匠石运斤
• 千斤 (qiānjīn)
• 千斤頂／千斤顶 (qiānjīndǐng)
• 半斤八兩／半斤八两 (bànjīnbāliǎng)
• 四兩撥千斤／四两拨千斤 (sìliǎngbōqiānjīn)
• 宋斤魯削／宋斤鲁削
• 市斤 (shìjīn)
• 幾斤幾兩／几斤几两 (jǐjīnjǐliǎng)
• 彈斤估兩／弹斤估两
• 掂斤估兩／掂斤估两
• 掂斤抹兩／掂斤抹两
• 掂斤播兩／掂斤播两
• 搬斤播兩／搬斤播两
• 斤兩／斤两 (jīnliǎng)
• 斤斤 (jīnjīn)
• 斤斤計較／斤斤计较 (jīnjīnjìjiào)
• 斤斧
• 斤斸／斤𣃁
• 斧斤 (fǔjīn)
• 有斤兩／有斤两
• 沒眼斤／没眼斤
• 短斤缺兩／短斤缺两
• 秤斤注兩
• 缺斤少兩／缺斤少两 (quējīnshǎoliǎng)
• 缺斤短兩／缺斤短两 (quējīnduǎnliǎng)
• 肉重千斤
• 臺斤／台斤 (táijīn)
• 論斤估兩／论斤估两
• 輟斤／辍斤
• 運斤成風／运斤成风
• 邀斤
• 郢匠揮斤／郢匠挥斤

 

Further reading

• “Entry #807”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.

Japanese

Kanji

斤

(Jōyō kanji)

1. counter for loaves of bread
2. (chiefly Okinawan) catty, a unit of weight equaling approximately 600 grams, or a unit of volume equaling approximately 600 cubic centimeters

Readings

• Go-on: こん (kon)
• Kan-on: きん (kin, Jōyō)
• Kun: おの (ono, 斤)

Compounds

Compounds

• 斤量(きんりょう) (kinryō): weight

Korean

Hanja

斤 (eumhun 근 근 (geun geun))

1. hanja form^? of 근 (“catty”)
2. hanja form^? of 근 (“axe”)
3. hanja form^? of 근 (“keen, shrewd”)

Vietnamese

Han character

斤: Hán Nôm readings: cân, rìu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.