cing3 to4秤砣
Jyutpingcing3 to4
Yaleching tòh
Definition
The sliding counterweight or poise of a traditional Chinese steelyard balance.
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the heavy metal weight used in traditional beam scales. Because these scales are increasingly rare in modern Hong Kong, the term is often used metaphorically to describe something heavy that keeps an object stable or in place.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
The counterweight fell to the ground and shattered.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with standard weights used on digital scales, which are typically referred to simply as 砝碼.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.



