Definition
衡 is a bound form (b.f.) — it cannot stand alone as an independent word and only appears in compound words. It carries two major threads: (1) the idea of weighing and measuring, physical and metaphorical (平衡 'balance', 衡量 'to weigh/assess'), and (2) a device for weighing (like a balance scale). In most modern usage you'll encounter it in words like 平衡 (balance, equilibrium) and 衡量 (to measure/judge).
b.f.
to weighto measureto judgeweighing apparatusbalance
Examples
- 。Wǒmen yīnggāi héng liáng yíxià zài zuò juédìng.We should weigh it up before making a decision.
- 。Shēnghuó zhōng yào bǎochí píng héng.You need to maintain balance in life.
- 衡。Nàge lǎoshì héng qì xiànzài yǐjīng hěn shǎo jiàn le.That old-fashioned balance scale is rarely seen now.
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