测 cè to survey
to survey; to measure
How to remember 测: 氵 water + 则 rule = to survey. Knee-deep in the water, the engineer keeps the rule that after every flood she must go out to survey the bridge.
Component breakdown
测 = 氵 water + 则 rule
- 氵 water
- 则 rule
- 贝 sea shell
- 刂 knife
Knee-deep in the water, the engineer keeps the rule that after every flood she must go out to survey the bridge.
How it is used
- A bound, written-register root meaning to measure or gauge, almost never used alone - it drives a large family of technical and everyday compounds.
- 测试 cèshì (to test), 预测 yùcè (to forecast/predict), 测量 cèliáng (to survey/measure), and 猜测 cāicè (to guess/speculate) are the most common; 检测 jiǎncè and 监测 jiāncè lean technical (inspection, monitoring instruments).
- 推测 tuīcè is the word for reasoned inference ("I infer/surmise that..."), more formal than 猜 (to guess casually).
Words with 测
- 测试cèshìto test (machinery etc)HSK 5
- 预测yùcèto forecastHSK 5
- 推测tuīcèspeculationHSK 6
- 检测jiǎncèto detectHSK 6
- 测量cèliángsurveyHSK 6
- 猜测cāicèto guessHSK 6
- 监测jiāncèto monitorHSK 6
- 变幻莫测biànhuàn-mòcèto change unpredictablyHSK 8
- 探测tàncèto probeHSK 8
- 揣测chuǎicèto guessHSK 8
- 测定cèdìngto determine (by measuring or surveying)HSK 9
- 测算cèsuànto take measurements and calculateHSK 9
- 测验cèyàntestHSK 9
- 观测guāncèto observeHSK 9