Hao (length)

The Hao (Chinese: 毫; pinyin: háo) in Mandarin, or hou in Cantonese, is a traditional Chinese unit of length. One hao equals 1/10 of a li, 1/10000 of a chi, or 33+1⁄3 μm. ^{[1] [2]}

Chinese length units promulgated in 1915

Chinese measurement law in 1915

Table of Chinese length units promulgated in 1915^[3]

Pinyin	Character	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
háo	毫	1⁄10000	32 μm	0.00126 in
lí	釐 (T) or 厘 (S)	1⁄1000	0.32 mm	0.0126 in
fēn	分	1⁄100	3.2 mm	0.126 in
cùn	寸	1⁄10	32 mm	1.26 in	Chinese inch
chǐ	尺	1	0.32 m	12.6 in	Chinese foot
bù	步	5	1.6 m	5.2 ft	Chinese pace
zhàng	丈	10	3.2 m	3.50 yd	Chinese yard
yǐn	引	100	32 m	35.0 yd
lǐ	里	1800	576 m	630 yd	Chinese mile, this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone

Present law on Chinese length units

Chinese measurement law in 1929, effective 1 January 1930

This law of length measurement was issued by the Chinese government in 1929, and has been effective since 1 January, 1930. The base unit chi is defined to be 1/3 meter. ^{[4][5] [6]}

Table of Chinese length units effective since 1930^[4]

Pinyin	Character	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
háo	毫	1⁄10 000	33+1⁄3 μm	0.00131 in	Chinese mil
lí	釐 (T) or 厘 (S)	1⁄1000	1⁄3 mm	0.0131 in	Chinese calibre
fēn	市分	1⁄100	3+1⁄3 mm	0.1312 in	Chinese line
cùn	市寸	1⁄10	3+1⁄3 cm	1.312 in	Chinese inch
chǐ	市尺	1	33+1⁄3 cm	13.12 in	Chinese foot
zhàng	市丈	10	3+1⁄3 m	3.645 yd	Chinese yard
yǐn	引	100	33+1⁄3 m	36.45 yd	Chinese chain
lǐ	市里	1500	500 m	546.8 yd	Chinese mile, this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone

Chinese length units in engineering

These units are based on the metric system. The Chinese word for metre is 米 mǐ, which can take the Chinese standard SI prefixes (for "kilo-", "centi-", etc.). In the engineering field, traditional units are rounded up to metric units. ^{[7] [8]}

Table of Chinese length units in engineering

Pinyin	Character	Relative value	Metric value	Imperial value	Notes
hū	忽	1⁄1000000	1 μm		Authorized name: 微米
sī	絲 (T) or 丝 (S)	1⁄100000	10 μm		Authorized name: 忽米
háo	毫	1⁄10000	100 μm		Authorized name: 絲米 (T) or 丝米 (S)
lí	釐 (T) or 厘 (S)	1⁄1000	1 mm		Authorized name: 毫米
fēn	公分	1⁄100	10 mm		Authorized name: 釐米(T) or 厘米(S)
cùn	公寸	1⁄10	100 mm		Authorized name: 分米
chǐ	公尺	1	1 m		Authorized name: 米
Zhàng	公丈	10	10 m		Authorized name: 十米
yǐn	公引	100	100 m		Authorized name: 百米
lǐ	公里	1000	1000 m		this li is not the small li above, which has a different character and tone

Compounds

• 絲毫 (sīháo)
• 一絲一毫 (yīsīyīháo)^[9]
• 差之毫釐，謬以千里 (chāzhīháolí, miùyǐqiānlǐ)^[10]

See also

• Li (short)
• Chinese units of measurement

References

1. Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2020). 新华字典 （附录：计量单位简表）(Xinhua Dictionary, Appendix: Brief table of measurement units) (in Chinese) (12th ed.). Beijing: The Commercial Press. p. 696. ISBN 978-7-100-17093-2.
2. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/毫
3. "權度法 [Quándù Fǎ]", 政府公報 [Zhèngfǔ Gōngbào, Government Gazette], vol. 957, Beijing: Office of the President, 7 January 1915, pp. 85–94^{[permanent dead link‍]}. (in Chinese)
4. "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)". Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
5. Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2016). 現代漢語詞典 (Contemporary Chinese Dictionary) (in Chinese) (7th ed.). Beijing: Commercial Press. pp. 518, 1789. ISBN 978-7-100-12450-8.
6. 《中华人民共和国国务院公报》1959年第16号（总号：180）第316页《統一公制計量單位中文名称方案》（"Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China" No. 16, 1959 (Total No.: 180) p. 316 "Proposal for Unifying the Chinese Names of Metric Measurement Units" ）
7. (in Chinese) 1981 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Archived 2012-01-11 at the Wayback Machine, No. 365 Archived 2014-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, page 575, Table 7: SI prefixes
8. "法定度量衡單位及前綴詞" (PDF). bsmi.gov.tw. 31 October 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 January 2024.
9. "《重編國語辭典修訂本》臺灣學術網路第六版 ("Revised Edition of the Chinese Dictionary" Taiwan Academic Network Sixth Edition)". 中華民國教育部 (Ministry of Education of the Republic of China).
10. "《重編國語辭典修訂本》臺灣學術網路第六版 ("Revised Edition of the Chinese Dictionary" Taiwan Academic Network Sixth Edition)". 中華民國教育部 (Ministry of Education of the Republic of China).