测 (cè) is a Chinese character meaning “to measure”. It is written from 氵 (water (left-side form)) and 则 (rule; then), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “to measure; to test”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
氵 + 则
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 測，深所至也。从水則聲
Memory aid
Water (氵) checked against a rule (则): you drop the line in and read off how deep it goes — that is measuring, testing, gauging.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 测试cè shìtest; to test测 = cè
- 预测yù cèto forecast; to predict测 = cè
- 揣测chuǎi cèto guess; to conjecture测 = cè
- 猜测cāi cèto guess; to speculate测 = cè
Go deeper
All readings
to measure; to test
to measure; to survey; to gauge; to test
用仪器或方法量出数值；也指检验、推断。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 测试cè shìtest; to test测 = cè
- 预测yù cèto forecast; to predict测 = cè
- 揣测chuǎi cèto guess; to conjecture测 = cè
- 猜测cāi cèto guess; to speculate测 = cè
Sound component
则 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 测 mean?
测 (cè) means to measure; to survey; to gauge; to test.
How do you pronounce 测?
It is pronounced cè.
What parts is 测 made of?
氵 (water (left-side form)) and 则 (rule; then), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 測，深所至也。从水則聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 测 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 测?
水. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 测?
Common ones are 测试 and 预测. The reading of 测 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.