Jump to content

Dan (mass)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dan (simplified Chinese: 担; traditional Chinese: 擔; pinyin: dàn),[a] or Daam in Cantonese, Tan in Japanese and Taiwanese, also called "Chinese hundredweight" or "picul"[b], is a traditional Chinese unit for weight measurement in East Asia. It originated in China before being introduced to neighboring countries. Nowaday, the mass of 1 dan equals 100 jin or 50 kg in mainland China, 60 kg in Taiwan[2] and Japan, [3] [4] and 60.478982 kg in Hong Kong,[5] Singapore and Malaysia.[6] [7] Dan is mostly used in the traditional markets. [2] [4]

China Mainland

[edit]

On June 25, 1959, the State Council of the People's Republic of China issued the Order on the Unified Measurement System, with minor amendment to the market system. "[8]

Table of mass units in the People's Republic of China since 1959[2]
Pinyin Character[9] 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
formerly 16 liang = 1 jin
dàn 市擔 100 50 kg 110.2 lb picul or Chinese hundredweight

Legally, 1 dan equals 100 jins, 50 kg, or 110.2 lb. [2]

Taiwan

[edit]

The so-called Taiwan dan is actually the dan used throughout China during the Qing Dynasty. 1 Taiwan dan is 60 kg, equal to 100 Taiwan jin. [10]

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/Kun 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

[edit]

Hong Kong law stipulates that one dan is equal to one hundred jin , which is 60.478982 kg.[5]

Table of Chinese mass units in Hong Kong[5] and Macau[11]
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.

Singapore and Malaysia have similar regulations as Hong Kong, as they are all former British colonies.[6]

Japan

[edit]

In Japan, 1 dan, or tan in Japanese pronunciation, is equal to 60 kg. [12]

Table of units of mass [13]
Unit Kan[14] 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)[c] 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.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Formerly, the Chinese measure word 擔/担 was also written as 石 (pronounced "shi" or "dan")
  2. ^ "Picul" is an English translation of Chinese word "擔" (dàn) according to its sounds in Malay "pikul", before Pinyin and Jyutping were available.[1]
  3. ^ The kan is also sometimes known in English as the kwan.[15]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Oxford English Dictionary".
  2. ^ a b c d (in Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, pages 311 to 312
  3. ^ Weights and Measures in Use in Taiwan Archived 2010-12-29 at the Wayback Machine from the Republic of China Yearbook – Taiwan 2001.
  4. ^ a b "Regulation on Approval and Notification of Herbal (crude) Medicinal Preparations, Etc". Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
  5. ^ a b c "Weights and Measures Ordinance". Laws of Hong Kong.
  6. ^ a b "Weights and Measures Act". Statutes of the Republic of Singapore.
  7. ^ "Weights and Measures Act 1972". Laws of Malaysia. Archived from the original on 2014-02-01.
  8. ^ "国务院关于统一我国计量制度的命令 (Order of the State Council on unifying my country's measurement system)". Archived from the original on 2010-12-06. Retrieved 2015-01-12.
  9. ^ (in Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, page 316
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Law No. 14/92/M ((in Chinese) 第14/92/M號法律; (in Portuguese) Lei n.o 14/92/M)
  12. ^ 日本パン公正取引協議会：包装食パンの斤表示の義務化. www.pan-koutorikyo.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  13. ^ Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
  14. ^ Nagase-Reimer (2016), p. xiii.
  15. ^ USWD (1944), p. 400.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dan_(mass)&oldid=1268528160"