Sheng (volume)

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The sheng (Chinese: 升; pinyin: shēng), also known as the Chinese liter, is a traditional unit of volume originating in China. It was later adopted in Japan, where it is known as the sho, in Korea as the seung, and in Vietnam and other East Asian regions.[1] One sheng is equal to 10 ge or 1⁄10 dou, although its exact capacity has varied across historical periods and regions.

In modern usage, the value of one sheng differs by country: in China, it is defined as exactly 1 litre;[2][3] in Japan, one sho equals approximately 1.8039 litres;[4] and in Korea, one seung is 1.8 litres.[5]

Historically, the sheng was primarily used as a measure for cereal grains. In contemporary contexts, it is more commonly used, like the litre, to measure liquids or gases.[6][7]

Ancient systems

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The Liangzhao bronze cubic sheng was a standard measuring instrument issued by the Qin Dynasty. It bears inscriptions of the imperial edicts from the 26th year of the reign of the First Emperor and the first year of Qin Er Shi.

As a unit of volume, the sheng emerged during the Warring States period (c. 475–221 BC) and has been in continuous use since then.[7][8]

History of volume measurement systems in China [8][circular reference][9]
Dynasty Unit conversion Metric conversion (milliliters ml)
Warring States Period (戰國) Qi (齊): 1 zhong (鍾) = 10 fu (釜); 1 fu = 4 qu (區); 1 qu = 4 dou (豆); 1 dou = 4 sheng (升) —

Chu (楚): 1 shao (筲) = 5 sheng (升) —

Qin (秦) Three Qin (三晉) 1 hu (斛) = 10 dou (斗); 1 dou = 10 sheng (升) 1 hu = 20,000 ml; 1 dou = 2,000 ml; 1 sheng = 200 ml; Shang Yang's Reform (商鞅變法): 1 cubic sheng = 201 ml
Han (漢) 1 hu (斛)=10 dou (斗)；1 斗=10 sheng (升)；1 升=10 ge (合)；1合=2 lun (龠)；1龠=5 cuo (撮)；1撮=4 gui (圭) 1 hu = 20,000 ml; 1 dou = 2,000 ml; 1 sheng = 200 ml; 1 ge = 20 ml; 1 lun = 10 ml; 1 cuo = 2 ml; 1 gui = 0.5 ml
Three Kingdoms (三國) and Jin (兩晉) 1 hu = 10 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge 1 hu = 20,450 ml; 1 dou = 2,045 ml; 1 sheng = 204.5 ml; 1 ge = 20.45 ml
Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝) 1 hu = 10 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge 1 hu = 30,000 ml; 1 dou = 3,000 ml; 1 sheng = 300 ml; 1 ge = 30 ml
Sui (隋) 1 hu = 10 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge Kaihuang (開皇): 1 hu = 60,000 ml; 1 dou = 6,000 ml; 1 sheng = 600 ml; 1 ge = 60 ml

Daye (大業): 1 hu = 20,000 ml; 1 dou = 2,000 ml; 1 sheng = 200 ml; 1 ge = 20 ml

Tang (唐) 1 hu = 10 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge Large system (大): 1 hu = 60,000 ml; 1 dou = 6,000 ml; 1 sheng = 600 ml; 1 ge = 60 ml

Small system (小): 1 hu = 20,000 ml; 1 dou = 2,000 ml; 1 sheng = 200 ml; 1 ge = 20 ml

Song (宋) 1 dan (石) = 2 hu; 1 hu = 5 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge 1 dan = 67,000 ml; 1 hu = 33,500 ml; 1 dou = 6,700 ml; 1 sheng = 670 ml; 1 ge = 67 ml
Yuan (元) 1 dan = 2 hu; 1 hu = 5 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge 1 dan = 95,000 ml; 1 hu = 47,500 ml; 1 dou = 9,500 ml; 1 sheng = 950 ml; 1 ge = 95 ml
Ming (明) & Qing (清) 1 dan = 2 hu; 1 hu = 5 dou; 1 dou = 10 sheng; 1 sheng = 10 ge 1 dan = 100,000 ml; 1 hu = 50,000 ml; 1 dou = 10,000 ml; 1 sheng = 1,000 ml; 1 ge = 100 ml

Modern systems

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China

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The sheng (升) was established as the base unit in the volume measurement system promulgated by the Chinese government in 1915. At that time, one sheng was defined as 1.0354688 litres.[10]

Table of Chinese volume units effective in 1915[10]
Pinyin Character Relative value Metric value US value Imperial value Notes
sháo 勺 1⁄100 10.354688 mL 0.3501 fl oz 0.3644 fl oz
gě 合 1⁄10 103.54688 mL 3.501 fl oz 3.644 fl oz
shēng 升 1 1.0354688 L 2.188 pt 1.822 pt
dǒu 斗 10 10.354688 L 2.735 gal 2.278 gal
hú 斛 50 51.77344 L 13.68 gal 11.39 gal
dàn 石 100 103.54688 L 27.35 gal 22.78 gal

A revised system was introduced in the Weights and Measures Acts of the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), effective from 1 January 1930. The volume units in use, as listed in the Chinese Name Plan for Unified Metric Units of Measurement (1959), include the dàn, dǒu, shēng, and gě. The basic unit remains the shēng, now defined as exactly 1 litre.

To distinguish between different interpretations of the litre, the traditional Chinese shēng is also known as 市升 (market sheng or market litre), while the modern transliteration of litre is referred to as 公升 (common sheng or common litre).[2][11]

Table of Chinese volume units effective since 1930[2][11]
Pinyin Character Relative value Metric value US value Imperial value Notes
cuō 撮 1⁄1000 1 mL 0.0338 fl oz 0.0352 fl oz millilitre
sháo 勺 1⁄100 10 mL 0.3381 fl oz 0.3520 fl oz centilitre
gě 合 1⁄10 100 mL 3.381 fl oz 3.520 fl oz decilitre
shēng 市升 1 1 L 2.113 pt 1.760 pt litre
dǒu 市斗 10 10 L 21.13 pt
2.64 gal 		17.60 pt
2.20 gal 		decalitre
dàn 市石 100 100 L 26.41 gal 22.0 gal hectolitre

Today, similar to the litre, the shēng is most commonly used to measure liquids or gases.[7]

Japan

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In Japan, the base unit of volume is the shō (升), equivalent to the Chinese shēng. One shō is defined as 1.804 litres. Traditional beverages such as sake and shōchū are often sold in 1800 mL bottles known as isshōbin (一升瓶), literally "one shō bottle".[12]

Table of volume units in Japan[4][13]
Unit Shō Metric US Imperial
Romanized Kanji Exact Approx. Exact Approx. Exact Approx.
Sai 才 1⁄1000 ⁠2401/1,331,000⁠ L 1.804 mL ⁠37,515,625/15,900,351,812,136⁠ cu yd 29.28 min ⁠240,100/605,084,579⁠ gal 30.47 min
0.1101 cu in
Shaku 勺 1⁄100 ⁠2401/133,100⁠ L 18.04 mL ⁠187,578,125/7,950,175,906,068⁠ cu yd 0.6100 fl oz ⁠2,401,000/605,084,579⁠ gal 0.6349 fl oz
1.101 cu in
Gō 合 1⁄10 ⁠2401/13,310⁠ L 180.4 mL ⁠937,890,625/3,975,087,953,034⁠ cu yd 0.3812 pt ⁠24,010,000/605,084,579⁠ gal 0.3174 pt
0.3276 dry pt
Shō 升 1 ⁠2401/1331⁠ L 1.804 L ⁠4,689,453,125/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd 1.906 qt ⁠240,100,000/605,084,579⁠ gal 1.587 qt
1.638 dry qt
To 斗 10 ⁠24,010/1331⁠ L 18.04 L ⁠46,894,531,250/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd 4.765 gal ⁠2,401,000,000/605,084,579⁠ gal 3.968 gal
2.048 pk
Koku 石 100 ⁠240,100/1331⁠ L 180.4 L ⁠468,945,312,500/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd 47.65 gal ⁠24,010,000,000/605,084,579⁠ gal 39.680 gal
5.119 bu
Notes:
  • Approximations are rounded to four significant figures.

Korea

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In Korea, the traditional volume unit is the doi (되), equivalent to the Chinese shēng and the Japanese shō. In Korean, it is also referred to as seung (승, 升).[14]

Table of volume units in Korea[15][16]
Romanization Korean English Equivalents
RR MR[17] Other Doe[18] Other countries Global
Jak Chak 작(勺) 1⁄100 18 mL (0.63 imp fl oz; 0.61 US fl oz)
Hop Hop 홉 1⁄10 Ge 180 mL (6.3 imp fl oz; 6.1 US fl oz)[a][18]
Doe Toe Doi[18]
Dwe[5] 		되 Korean Peck[19] 1 1.8 L (0.40 imp gal; 0.48 US gal)[b][18]
Seung Sŭng 승(升)
Mal Mal 말 Korean Bushel 10 18 L (4.0 imp gal; 4.8 US gal)[c][18]
Du Tu 두(斗)
Seom Sŏm 섬 Korean Picul[19] 100 Picul 180 L (40 imp gal; 48 US gal)[d][18]
Seok Sŏk Suk[18] 석(石)
Jeom Chŏm 점(苫)
Sogok Sogok 소곡(小斛) 150 270 L (59 imp gal; 71 US gal)
Pyeongseok P'yŏngsŏk 평석(平石)
Daegok Taegok 대곡(大斛) 200 360 L (79 imp gal; 95 US gal)
Jeonseok Chŏnsŏk 전석(全石)

Sheng and litre

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In China, the English unit litre is also referred to as sheng (升). When a distinction is necessary, the word litre is translated as 公升 (gōngshēng, "common sheng" or "common litre"), while the traditional Chinese unit is referred to as 市升 (shìshēng, "market sheng" or "market litre"), as it has historically been more commonly used in commercial contexts.[10][3]

The different sheng units may also be distinguished by the regions in which they are used or defined, such as the Chinese sheng, Japanese shō, Korean seung, or British litre, among others.

In mainland China, one sheng is equal to one litre. As the two units are identical in size, both are commonly referred to as sheng in Chinese or litre in English, unless clarification is required.

Additionally, standard SI prefixes are applied to the character 升 (shēng) to form other metric volume units. These include:

  • 分升 (fēnshēng) – decilitre (dL)
  • 厘升 (líshēng) – centilitre (cL)
  • 毫升 (háoshēng) – millilitre (mL)[11][3]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The variant figures in Fessley [17] and the UN reports[18] are based on the imperial measuring system.
  2. ^ imp
  3. ^ imp
  4. ^ imp

References

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  1. ^ "升 (Sheng in China, sho in Japan and seung in Korea)". 27 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)" (in Chinese). Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
  3. ^ a b c Language Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (2016). 现代汉语词典 (附錄：計量單位表) [Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Appendix: Measure units)] (in Chinese) (7th ed.). Beijing: Commercial Press. p. 1790. ISBN 978-7-100-12450-8.
  4. ^ a b Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
  5. ^ a b Kim (2007).
  6. ^ Language Institute 2016, p. 1165.
  7. ^ a b c "Cambridge Dictionary".
  8. ^ a b "中國度量衡".
  9. ^ "shēng [Chinese 升]". Sizes.
  10. ^ a b c "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)
  11. ^ a b c (in Chinese) 1959 Gazette of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, No. 180, page 317
  12. ^ "Isshobin | 一升瓶". UrbanSake.com.
  13. ^ World Weights and Measures: Handbook for Statisticians, ST/STAT/SER. M/21, UN Publication No. 1955.XVII.2, New York, NY: Statistical Office of the United Nations, 1955
  14. ^ Kim, Jun Hee (March 2007), "Taking Measure", Invest Korea Journal, vol. 25, Seoul: Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency
  15. ^ Fessley, Susanna (2009), "Weights and Measures in East Asian Studies" (PDF), Albany: State University of New York
  16. ^ "Glossary of Korean History", Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul: National Institute of Korean History, 2017
  17. ^ a b Fessley (2009), p. 9.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h UN (1955), III-59.
  19. ^ a b NIKH (2017).