寸
inch, small
At a glance · 寸
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
寸字小篆从又从一（丶），为指事字；本义为长度单位寸，以人手下一寸为度。甲骨文未见。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
寸本义为长度单位寸。
Structure
寸为指事字，从又（手）加一点，指示手掌下寸口之处。
At a glance
Pinyincùn
Radical寸
Strokes3
UnicodeU+5BF8
Character type指事
Theme数术
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
inch, small
Cun is an ideograph marking the ancient Chinese inch measure at the wrist.
Français
pouce, petit
Cun est un caractère indicatif marquant la mesure chinoise du pouce au poignet.
Español
pulgada, pequeño
Cun es un carácter indicativo que marca la medida china de la pulgada en la muñeca.
العربية
بوصة، صغير
تسون حرف دال على وحدة الطول الصينية عند المعصم.
Русский
цунь, малый
Цунь — указательный знак, обозначающий китайскую меру «цунь» у запястья.
Common words
- 尺寸chǐ cùnsize
- 寸cùninch