英寸
yīngcùn
The English phrase "inch" is translated into Chinese as 英寸 (yīngcùn).
英寸 is a noun used to refer to the inch, which is an English unit of length and its traditional equivalents.
Meaning: English unit of length and traditional equivalents (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is yīngcùn.
Did you know?
- The traditional Chinese inch 寸 was originally based on the width of a thumb, which is why the character's ancient form resembles a hand.
- In the Chinese zodiac and traditional medicine, the 寸 is used to measure pulse points on the wrist, a practice that predates the adoption of the English inch.
- The first character in 英寸 is a shortening of 英吉利, which means 'English'. This distinguishes the modern inch from the traditional Chinese unit of the same name.
Examples in context
- 你知道这个屏幕有多大吗？- 宽度大概是15寸。Do you know how big this screen is? – The width is approximately 15 inches.
- 我的手机是五寸的屏幕。My phone has a 5-inch screen.
- 这台显示器只有二十英寸。Zhè tái xiǎnshìqì zhǐyǒu èrshí yīngcùn.This monitor is only twenty inches.
- 请用英寸测量一下长度。Qǐng yòng yīngcùn cèliáng yīxià chángdù.Please measure the length in inches.
- 这个零件大约有两英寸长。Zhège língjiàn dàyuē yǒu liǎng yīngcùn cháng.This part is about two inches long.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are checking the size of a small frame in a shop.
- 梓涵 Zihan这个相框有多大？Zhège xiàngkuāng yǒu duō dà?How big is this photo frame?
- 浩然 Haoran它有五英寸宽。Tā yǒu wǔ yīngcùn kuān.It is five inches wide.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，这对我来说太小了。Hàorán, zhè duì wǒ lái shuō tài xiǎo le.Haoran, this is too small for me.
- 浩然 Haoran那我们看看大一点的吧。Nà wǒmen kànkan dà yīdiǎn de ba.Then let's look at a larger one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “inch” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
