What Is Chi?
Chi is a traditional Chinese unit of length. It is similar to a foot in Western systems. Today in mainland China one chi is officially set as one third of a meter.
Definition
In modern mainland China
- 1 chi = 1/3 meter
- 1 chi = 0.333 meter (about)
- 1 chi = 33.3 centimeters (about)
- 1 chi = about 1.09 feet
In Taiwan and Hong Kong the chi has slightly different official lengths, but in all cases it is close to the length of a human forearm.
History / Origin
The chi is an ancient Chinese measure. Long ago people used body parts to measure length. The chi was based on the distance from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger or the length of a forearm.
Over thousands of years different Chinese dynasties used different exact values for the chi. Its length changed from place to place and from time to time. In some periods one chi was around 23 centimeters. In others it was closer to 36 centimeters.
In the twentieth century governments made the chi match the metric system. The People Republic of China finally fixed the modern chi as exactly one third of a meter. Taiwan and Hong Kong set their own legal values close to older local customs.
Symbol & Abbreviation
The main Chinese character for chi is 尺.
Common ways to write or shorten chi include
- Chinese character: 尺
- Pinyin spelling: chi
- Sometimes written as “shichi” or “market chi” 市尺 to show the modern legal version
In English texts people usually just write the word chi after the number.
Current Use Around the World
The chi is still used today in several Chinese speaking areas, especially in daily life and some trades.
Mainland China
- Modern legal value is exactly 1/3 meter.
- Used in construction, carpentry, and traditional crafts.
- Often used with related units such as cun and zhang.
Taiwan
- Chi is used in building work and land rules.
- The legal value is close to 30.3 centimeters.
Hong Kong and Macau
- The Cantonese form of chi is still used in some trades such as tailoring and carpentry.
- Its official value is about 37.1 centimeters.
Outside Chinese regions, chi is mostly seen in history books, old maps, and studies of traditional Chinese science, medicine, and architecture.
Example Conversions
The examples below use the modern mainland China chi of 1/3 meter.
From chi to metric
- 1 chi ≈ 0.333 m ≈ 33.3 cm
- 2 chi ≈ 0.667 m ≈ 66.7 cm
- 3 chi ≈ 1.000 m ≈ 100.0 cm
- 5 chi ≈ 1.667 m ≈ 166.7 cm
- 10 chi ≈ 3.333 m ≈ 333.3 cm
From chi to feet and inches
- 1 chi ≈ 1.09 feet ≈ 13.1 inches
- 2 chi ≈ 2.19 feet ≈ 26.2 inches
- 3 chi ≈ 3.28 feet ≈ 39.4 inches (about 1 meter)
- 5 chi ≈ 5.47 feet ≈ 65.6 inches
From meters to chi
- 0.5 m ≈ 1.5 chi
- 1 m ≈ 3 chi
- 2 m ≈ 6 chi
Related Units
The chi is part of a larger traditional Chinese length system. Common related units include
- Cun 寸 a Chinese inch, usually 1/10 of a chi
- Zhang 丈 often 10 chi
- Bu 步 a pace, in some systems about 1.6 chi
- Li 里 a traditional long distance unit. Its exact value has also changed over time
These units were used together in old China to measure buildings, land, and travel distances.
FAQs
Is chi the same as a foot
Chi is similar to a foot because both are human sized lengths. But they are not equal. The modern chi is about 1.09 feet so it is a bit longer.
How long is 1 chi in centimeters
In modern mainland China 1 chi is about 33.3 centimeters. In Taiwan and Hong Kong it is close to 30 to 37 centimeters depending on local law.
Why does the length of a chi change between places
The chi comes from very old customs. Different regions fixed their own exact values based on older standards, so the legal length became slightly different in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Is chi still used today
Yes. It is still used in building work, traditional medicine, tailoring, furniture making, and other trades in Chinese speaking areas. However, the metric system is used for science and most official work.
How do I quickly change chi to meters
For the modern mainland China chi, a quick trick is to multiply by one third. For example 3 chi is about 1 meter and 6 chi is about 2 meters.
Is chi used outside China
Outside Chinese regions, chi mainly appears in history, archaeology, and cultural studies. Most countries use the metric system or imperial units instead.