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鈞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鈞jūnunit of weight equal to thirty catties; your (formal)x, 12 strokes, radical 釒, rank #89929, Very Hard
jūn(jun1) T1
  1. 1unit of weight equal to thirty catties; your (formal)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鈞jūn(jun1)

The character 鈞 (jūn) refers to a unit of weight traditionally used in Chinese measurements, equivalent to thirty catties. It is also used as a formal way to express possession, akin to saying 'your' in English, but with a more respectful tone.

Strokes12Radical釒Frequency#89929DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The concept of weight and measurements has a significant historical context in China, as traditional units like 鈞 were essential for trade and commerce in ancient times. This reflects the importance of precision in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a heavy weight (30 catties) being lifted by a king (君, jūn), who is formally addressing his subjects. The character 鈞 combines the metal radical (金) with a sense of importance, as weight is often associated with value.

Meanings of 鈞

jūn(jun1)
1unit of weight equal to thirty catties; your (formal)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鈞

鈞Simplified
12Strokes
釒Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鈞

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Podcast: 鈞

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AI Study Notes for 鈞

Usage Notes

Be aware that 鈞 is a formal term and should be used in respectful contexts. It is often confused with similar-sounding terms, so ensure you use the correct context to avoid misunderstandings. Common collocations include 鈞重 (weight) and 鈞量 (measuring weight).

HSK Study Tips

Although 鈞 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to other measurement-related terms such as 斤 (jīn, catty) and 克 (kè, gram) in everyday contexts. Focus on memorizing these related terms to understand weight measurements better.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 鈞 with similar characters, such as 君 (jūn, meaning 'king'). For example, using '你的君' (nǐ de jūn) mistakenly instead of '你的鈞' (nǐ de jūn) can lead to confusion in meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鈞

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Etymology of 鈞

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 匀 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈞.

Memory Hint

gold

Semantic (meaning)釒
+
Phonetic (sound)匀
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鈞

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 匀 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈞.

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half匀 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygold
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 鈞? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 鈞?

Decomposition of 鈞

IDS Structure⿰釒匀
鈞Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
匀yun2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鈞?

How to say unit of weight equal to thirty catties; your (formal) in Chinese

“unit of weight equal to thirty catties; your (formal)” in Chinese is鈞jūn

The character 鈞 (jūn) refers to a unit of weight traditionally used in Chinese measurements, equivalent to thirty catties. It is also used as a formal way to express possession, akin to saying 'your' in English, but with a more respectful tone.

When to use 鈞

Be aware that 鈞 is a formal term and should be used in respectful contexts. It is often confused with similar-sounding terms, so ensure you use the correct context to avoid misunderstandings. Common collocations include 鈞重 (weight) and 鈞量 (measuring weight).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 鈞 with similar characters, such as 君 (jūn, meaning 'king'). For example, using '你的君' (nǐ de jūn) mistakenly instead of '你的鈞' (nǐ de jūn) can lead to confusion in meaning.

Write 鈞

鈞

Practice writing 鈞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 鈞

Words Containing This Character2
千钧一发qiānjūnyífàimminent peril千鈞一髮
钧jūngreat鈞
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 千钧一发 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鈞

斤 (jīn) is a unit of weight equal to half a 鈞 (15 catties), so 鈞 is a larger measure.

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