cân ta
Definition
- Noun:
- A traditional Vietnamese unit of mass: "cân ta" refers to a specific unit of weight used historically and in traditional contexts in Vietnam, equivalent to 0.605 kilograms or approximately 1.33 pounds.
- A type of scale: It can also refer to the specific type of balance, the Roman balance or steelyard, traditionally used to measure this unit.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Người bán hàng dùng cân ta để cân gạo. (The vendor used a cân ta to weigh the rice.)
- Một cân ta bằng 0,605 kilôgam. (One cân ta equals 0.605 kilograms.)
- Chiếc cân ta này là đồ cổ của gia đình tôi. (This cân ta [scale] is an antique from my family.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is primarily used in historical, cultural, or traditional market contexts. In modern official and scientific contexts, the metric system (kilograms, grams) is standard.
- It can be used to evoke a sense of tradition or old-fashioned measurement.
Variants and Related Words
- Cân (n): A general term for "scale" or "balance," and also for the modern metric "kilogram."
- Cân tây (n): Literally "Western balance/scale," often referring to the modern metric kilogram.
- Lạng (n): A smaller traditional unit, with one "cân ta" historically equal to 16 "lạng."
Synonyms
- Catty (n): The English term for a similar traditional unit of weight used in East and Southeast Asia.
- Roman balance (n): The type of scale.
- Steelyard (n): Another term for the same type of lever-based scale.
Related Phrases
- Cân đo đong đếm: To weigh and measure; to calculate meticulously. (This phrase uses "cân" generally, not specifically "cân ta").
- Công việc đòi hỏi sự cân đo đong đếm cẩn thận. (The job requires careful calculation.)
Related Idioms
- Cân não: To rack one's brains; to think very hard (literally "to weigh the brain"). This idiom uses "cân" in a figurative sense and is not specific to "cân ta."
- Bài toán này khiến tôi phải cân não. (This math problem makes me rack my brains.)
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Roman balance
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Catty (0,605 Kg)
