Definition

1. Noun:
   • A unit of weight used in East Asia: A traditional measure of mass, historically used in China and other parts of East Asia. Its exact value has varied over time and by region, but it is approximately equivalent to 1.3 ounces or about 37.8 grams in the modern metric system. It was commonly used for weighing precious metals like silver and gold.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The merchant paid for the silk with three tael of silver.
  • In historical accounts, taxes were often calculated in tael.
  • The recipe calls for one tael of a specific medicinal herb.

Advanced Usage

• "Silver tael": A specific reference to the tael as a unit for weighing silver, which was a common form of currency in historical China.

  • The indemnity was set at millions of silver tael.

• "Tael system": Refers to the historical monetary system based on weights of silver.

  • The economy operated on the tael system before the introduction of standardized coinage.

Variants and Related Words

• Liang: The Chinese name (两) for the same unit of weight.
• Tahil: A common alternative spelling used in Southeast Asia (e.g., Malaysia, Singapore).

Synonyms

• Chinese ounce: A direct, descriptive synonym in English.
• Liang: The native term.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The word "tael" refers specifically to a unit of weight. It is not a unit of currency itself, though it was used to weigh precious metals that served as currency. Do not confuse it with modern currency units like the dollar or yuan.

Noun

1. a unit of weight used in east Asia approximately equal to 1.3 ounces