Dou (volume)

Dou (Chinese: 斗; pinyin: dǒu), called to in Japan, du in Korea, and đấu in Vietnam and sometimes translated as a scoop or ladle, is a traditional unit of volume in East Asia. It originated in China and later spread to other places. One dou equals 10 sheng or 1/10 dan, now officially 10 liters in China,¹² 18.039 liters in Japan³ and 18 liters in Korea.⁴

Dou is one of the traditional Chinese units of measurement used to measure cereal grains, among other things.⁵

China

Table of Chinese volume units effective since 1930¹⁵
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 Japan³⁶
Unit		Shō	Metric		US		Imperial
Romanized	Kanji	Shō	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
Sai	才	1⁄1000	⁠2401/1,331,000⁠ L	1.804 mL	⁠37,515,625/15,900,351,812,136⁠ cu yd	0.1101 cu in	⁠240,100/605,084,579⁠ gal	30.47 min
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
Shaku	勺	1⁄100	⁠2401/133,100⁠ L	18.04 mL	⁠187,578,125/7,950,175,906,068⁠ cu yd	1.101 cu in	⁠2,401,000/605,084,579⁠ gal	0.6349 fl oz
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
Gō	合	1⁄10	⁠2401/13,310⁠ L	180.4 mL	⁠937,890,625/3,975,087,953,034⁠ cu yd	0.3276 dry pt	⁠24,010,000/605,084,579⁠ gal	0.3174 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
Shō	升	1	⁠2401/1331⁠ L	1.804 L	⁠4,689,453,125/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd	1.638 dry qt	⁠240,100,000/605,084,579⁠ gal	1.587 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
To	斗	10	⁠24,010/1331⁠ L	18.04 L	⁠46,894,531,250/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd	2.048 pk	⁠2,401,000,000/605,084,579⁠ gal	3.968 gal
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
Koku	石	100	⁠240,100/1331⁠ L	180.4 L	⁠468,945,312,500/1,987,543,976,517⁠ cu yd	5.119 bu	⁠24,010,000,000/605,084,579⁠ gal	39.680 gal
Notes: Approximations are rounded to four significant figures.

Korea

Table of volume units in Korea⁷ ⁸
Romanization			Korean	English	Equivalents
RR	MR 9	Other	Korean	English	Doe¹⁰	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)^a¹⁰
Doe	Toe	Doi¹⁰ Dwe⁴	되	Korean Peck¹¹	1		1.8 L (0.40 imp gal; 0.48 US gal)^b¹⁰
Seung	Sŭng		승(升)	Korean Peck¹¹	1		1.8 L (0.40 imp gal; 0.48 US gal)^b¹⁰
Mal	Mal		말	Korean Bushel	10		18 L (4.0 imp gal; 4.8 US gal)^c¹⁰
Du	Tu		두(斗)	Korean Bushel	10		18 L (4.0 imp gal; 4.8 US gal)^c¹⁰
Seom	Sŏm		섬	Korean Picul¹²	100	Picul	180 L (40 imp gal; 48 US gal)^d¹⁰
Seok	Sŏk	Suk¹⁰	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)		150		270 L (59 imp gal; 71 US gal)
Daegok	Taegok		대곡(大斛)		200		360 L (79 imp gal; 95 US gal)
Jeonseok	Chŏnsŏk		전석(全石)		200		360 L (79 imp gal; 95 US gal)

For more details, please see Sheng (volume)

Words

斗室 (dǒu shì)
車載斗量 (chē zài dǒu liàng)
不為五斗米折腰 (bù wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhéyāo)

Notes

The variant figures in Fessley ⁹ and the UN¹⁰ reports are based on the imperial measuring system.
imp
imp
imp

References

"The Weights and Measures Act (1929)" (in Chinese). Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.
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.
Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"
Kim (2007).
Language Institute 2016, p. 316.
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
Kim, Jun Hee (March 2007), "Taking Measure", Invest Korea Journal, vol. 25, Seoul: Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency
Fessley, Susanna (2009), "Weights and Measures in East Asian Studies" (PDF), Albany: State University of New York
Fessley (2009), p. 9.
UN (1955), III-59.
NIKH (2017).
"Glossary of Korean History", Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul: National Institute of Korean History, 2017

[imp-11] The variant figures in Fessley ⁹ and the UN¹⁰ reports are based on the imperial measuring system.

[13] imp

[14] imp

[16] imp

[ROC1930-1] "The Weights and Measures Act (1929)" (in Chinese). Legislative Yuan. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25.

[LI2016-2] 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.

[auto-3] Iwata, Shigeo. "Weights and Measures in Japan"

[FOOTNOTEKim2007-4] Kim (2007).

[FOOTNOTELanguage_Institute2016316-5] Language Institute 2016, p. 316.

[UN1955-6] 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

[7] Kim, Jun Hee (March 2007), "Taking Measure", Invest Korea Journal, vol. 25, Seoul: Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency

[8] Fessley, Susanna (2009), "Weights and Measures in East Asian Studies" (PDF), Albany: State University of New York

[FOOTNOTEFessley20099-9] Fessley (2009), p. 9.

[un-10] UN (1955), III-59.

[FOOTNOTENIKH2017-12] NIKH (2017).

[15] "Glossary of Korean History", Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul: National Institute of Korean History, 2017

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