测

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 测 (cè) is composed of two parts: the radical 卜 (bǔ), which means "divination," and the phonetic component 侧 (cè), which means "to measure." The character 测 originally meant "to divine the future by measuring the length of straws or bamboo sticks." Over time, its meaning expanded to include "to measure," "to estimate," and "to test."The radical 卜 (bǔ) is one of the oldest Chinese characters, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally a pictograph of a tortoise shell, which was used for divination. The character 侧 (cè) is a later addition to the Chinese language, and it is thought to have originated from the character 侧 (cè), which means "to turn to one side."The character 测 (cè) is used in a variety of words and phrases, including:* 测量 (cèliàng): to measure* 估计 (gūjì): to estimate* 测试 (cèshì): to test* 测验 (cèyàn): a test* 测绘 (cèhuì): surveying* 测算 (cèsuàn): to calculate* 测定 (cèdìng): to determineThe character 测 (cè) is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important character for HSK learners to know, as it is used in many common words and phrases.