Definition

1. Noun:
   • Small steelyard / Small handheld scale: A traditional, portable weighing instrument. It consists of a lever arm with two arms of unequal length. A pan or hook for the object to be weighed is attached to the shorter arm, and a counterweight (quả cân) slides along the calibrated longer arm to find balance and indicate the weight.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Người bán hoa quả thường dùng cân tiểu li. (The fruit seller often uses a small steelyard.)
  • Cô ấy mua một cái cân tiểu li để cân thực phẩm ở nhà. (She bought a small handheld scale to weigh food at home.)
  • Trước khi có cân điện tử, cân tiểu li rất phổ biến. (Before electronic scales, the small steelyard was very common.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is somewhat traditional. In modern contexts, similar devices are often called "cân tay" (hand scale) or "cân đồng hồ" (dial scale), especially when they have a circular dial instead of a sliding weight.

Variants and Related Words

• Cân tay (n): Hand scale; a general term for any portable, handheld weighing device.
• Cân đồng hồ (n): Dial scale; a portable scale that uses a spring and a circular dial to indicate weight.
• Cân điện tử (n): Electronic scale; a digital scale.
• Quả cân (n): Counterweight; the weight that slides on the arm of a steelyard.

Synonyms

• Small scale
• Handheld balance
• Portable scale

Notes on Usage

• "Cân tiểu li" specifically refers to the classic sliding-weight design. It is associated with small-scale, informal trade (like street vendors) or household use for weighing light to medium items such as food, spices, or small goods.
• The reference from the Vietnamese-French dictionary ("pesette; trébuchet") points to precise laboratory balances (like a powder scale or fine balance), which is a more specialized, scientific use of a similar lever principle. In everyday Vietnamese, "cân tiểu li" typically does not carry this laboratory connotation.