测

• Pinyin: cè
• Hanzi breakdown: 测 = 氵(water) + 则 (rule, phonetic) — originally meant to gauge water depth

Meaning

To measure; to test. A concise verb for checking, measuring, or assessing something.

Often used as a shorter, more casual alternative to 测量 or 测试. Commonly appears in compound phrases like 测体温 (take temperature) and 测血压 (measure blood pressure). In everyday speech it is frequently used alone in informal contexts.

Examples

1. 护士先帮我测了一下体温。 The nurse first took my temperature.
2. 你去测测血压，看看正不正常。 Go measure your blood pressure and see if it's normal.
3. 这个方法可以测出水的酸碱度。 This method can test the pH level of water.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, scientific, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 先测一下体温再说。(Let's take your temperature first.)
• 他每天都测血压。(He measures his blood pressure every day.)

Don't Say

• 老师让我们测一下这篇课文 (Don't use 测 alone for testing knowledge of a text — say 测试 or 考; 测 alone is mainly for physical measurements)

Origin & History

测 is composed of 氵(water radical, relating to measurement by water level) and 则 (rule, phonetic). Originally related to gauging water depth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal