錙銖

錙銖

Chinese

		ancient weight; one-fourth of a tael	twenty-fourth part of a tael
trad. (錙銖)		錙	銖
simp. (锱铢)		锱	铢

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zīzhū

  (Zhuyin): ㄗ ㄓㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi¹ zyu¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: zīzhū
    • Zhuyin: ㄗ ㄓㄨ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzyju
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡sz̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi¹ zyu¹
    • Yale: jī jyū
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi¹ dzy¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji¹ ju¹
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡ʃyː⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: /t͡ʃɨ  d͡ʑɨo/▼

Rime
Character	錙	銖
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	莊 (18)	常 (25)
Final (韻)	之 (19)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	側持切	市朱切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ʃɨ/	/d͡ʑɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈ͡ʂɨ/	/d͡ʑio/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ʃie/	/d͡ʑio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈ͡ʂɨ/	/d͡ʑuə̆/
Li Rong	/t͡ʃiə/	/ʑio/
Wang Li	/t͡ʃĭə/	/ʑĭu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʈ͡ʂi/	/ʑi̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhī	chú

• Old Chinese▼

  (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsrɯ  djo/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	錙	銖
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	17822	17581
Phonetic component	甾	朱
Rime group	之	侯
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	葘	殊
Old Chinese	/*ʔsrɯ/	/*djo/

Noun

錙銖

1. (literary, literally) zi (¹⁄₄ of a tael) and zhu (¹⁄₂₄ of a tael), both are small weight measures in ancient China

   • 雖分國如錙銖，不臣不仕。其規為有如此者。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     虽分国如锱铢，不臣不仕。其规为有如此者。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, circa 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Suī fēn guó rú zīzhū, bù chén bù shì. Qí guī wéi yǒu rú cǐ zhě. [Pinyin]

     […] although the offer was made to share a state with him, it would be no more to him than the small weights of a balance; he will not take a ministry, he will not take an office ― such are the rules and conduct he prescribes to himself.

2. (literary, figuratively) a tiny amount; a very small amount

   • 五六月累丸，二而不墜，則失者錙銖。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     五六月累丸，二而不坠，则失者锱铢。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE

     Wǔ liù yuè lěiwán, èr ér bù zhuì, zé shī zhě zīzhū. [Pinyin]

     For five or six months, I practised with two pellets, till they never fell down, and then I only failed with a small fraction of the cicadas (which I tried to catch).

3. (literary, figuratively) a small profit; a very small amount of money

Derived terms

算盡錙銖／算尽锱铢 計較錙銖／计较锱铢 錙銖不爽／锱铢不爽

錙銖必較／锱铢必较 錙銖較量／锱铢较量

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (錙銖):

• → Japanese: 錙 (し)銖 (しゅ) (shishu)
• → Korean: 치수 (錙銖, chisu)
• → Vietnamese: chuy thù (錙銖)