Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 17, 2026

Dan (volume)

A dan or shi in China, koku in Japan and seok (석) in Korea, is a unit of volume mainly for grains. It originated in China and later spread to other places in East Asia. One dan is divided into 10 dous or 100 shengs. It is 100 litres in China, 180.39 litres in Japan and 180 litres in Korea.

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A dan or shi (Chinese: 石; pinyin: dàn, shí) in China, koku in Japan and seok (석) in Korea, is a unit of volume mainly for grains. It originated in China and later spread to other places in East Asia.1 One dan is divided into 10 dous or 100 shengs. It is 100 litres in China,23 180.39 litres in Japan4 and 180 litres in Korea.5

China

Table of Chinese volume units effective since 193026
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

Japan

Table of volume units in Japan47
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

Table of volume units in Korea89
Romanization Korean English Equivalents
RR MR10 Other Doe11 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)a11
Doe Toe Doi11
Dwe5 		되 Korean Peck12 1 1.8 L (0.40 imp gal; 0.48 US gal)b11
Seung Sŭng 승(升)
Mal Mal 말 Korean Bushel 10 18 L (4.0 imp gal; 4.8 US gal)c11
Du Tu 두(斗)
Seom Sŏm 섬 Korean Picul13 100 Picul 180 L (40 imp gal; 48 US gal)d11
Seok Sŏk Suk11 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)

For more details, please see Sheng (volume)

Words

  • 擔石／担石 (dàn dàn)
  • 以升量石 (yǐ shēng liàng dàn)
  • 千石 (qiān dàn)
See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. The variant figures in Fessley 10 and the UN11 reports are based on the imperial measuring system.
  2. imp
  3. imp
  4. imp
References

References

  1. "石". 26 November 2024.
  2. "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)" (in Chinese). Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
  3. 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. Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
  5. Kim (2007).
  6. Language Institute 2016, p. 1165.
  7. 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
  8. Kim, Jun Hee (March 2007), "Taking Measure", Invest Korea Journal, vol. 25, Seoul: Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency
  9. Fessley, Susanna (2009), "Weights and Measures in East Asian Studies" (PDF), Albany: State University of New York, archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-11, retrieved 2024-11-09
  10. Fessley (2009), p. 9.
  11. UN (1955), III-59.
  12. NIKH (2017).
  13. "Glossary of Korean History", Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul: National Institute of Korean History, 2017, archived from the original on 2020-10-27, retrieved 2024-11-09