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US and Metric Weights and Measures Compared

Length
inches and feet
to meters
Volume
cups and gallons
to liters
Weight
ounces and pounds
to grams
Temperature
Celsius to Fahrenheit
The Metric System Explained Hear The Dutch Words
Slow Connections and Printer Version - Time

Length

inches to millimeters (mm)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 inch = 25.4 millimeter = 2.54 centimeter
1 millimeter = 0.04 inch
1 centimeter = 10 millimeter

inches to centimeters (cm)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 cm = 0.39 inch
12 inches = 1 foot = 30.48 centimeter

inches and feet to meters and centimeters

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

100 centimeters = 1 meter = 39.37 inches = 3.281 feet

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

feet to meters (m)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 foot = 0.3048 meters = 30.48 centimeter
1 meter = 3.281 feet

yards to meters (m)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 yard = 0.9144 meter
1 meter = 1.093 yard
1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

miles to kilometers (km)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
1 mile = 1.60934 kilometer
1 kilometer = 0.62137 miles
1 kilometer = 1000 meters
1 mile = 5280 feet = 1760 yards
[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
Please drive carefully

Hear The Dutch Words

(de) el click to hear 'ell' - old length measurement, but still used in fabric sales. The Dutch el  is 69 cm (~27 inches) - the English ell is about 45 inches (115 cm)

Volume

fluid ounces (fl. oz.) to milliliters (ml)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
1 fluid ounce = 29.573 milliliter
1 ml = 0.0338 fl. oz.
8 fl. oz = 1 cup = 236.6 ml
1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
½ tsp = 2.5 ml
¼ tsp = 1.25 ml
1/8 tsp = .6 ml
1 cup = 235 ml
½ cup = 120 ml
1/3 cup = 80 ml
¼ cup = 60 ml
a dash ('a few drops') = 1/8 teaspoon = .6 ml
a pinch = 1/16 teaspoon = .3 ml
a smidgen = ½ pinch = .15 ml
a drop = ½ smidgen = .075 ml
A Dutch Tablespoon is 15 ml, like the American Tablespoon, but a Dutch teaspoon is 3 ml.
U.S.BritishDutch
teaspoon 5 ml 6 ml 3 ml - theelepel click to hear
dessert spoon 12 ml
Tablespoon 15 ml 18 ml 15 ml - eetlepel click to hear

cups to liters (L)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
1 pint = 2 cups = 0.473 liters
1 quart = 4 cups = 0.946 liters
1 gallon = 16 cups = 4 quarts = 3.785 liters
(The old English fluid ounce was 28.4 ml and the UK gallon was 4.54 liters)

gallons to liters

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
1 gallon = 3.785 liters
1 liter = 0.264 gallon
Hear The Dutch Words

Weight

ounces to grams (g)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 ounce = 28.35 grams
1 gram = 0.035 ounces

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

16 ounces = 1 pound = 453 grams = 0.453 kilograms
1 kilogram = 1000 grams = 2.205 pounds = 35.27 ounces

pounds to kilograms (kg)

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]

1 pound = 0.453 kilograms
1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds

[a bar chart comparing imperial and metric dimensions]
The old English weight stone (14 Lb) is 6.35 kg
Aes, asen (an old tulips weight) - see tulips

Hear The Dutch Words

Temperature

Fahrenheit to Celsius (°C, Centigrade)

[a bar chart comparing Fahrenheit and Celsius degrees]
(de) temperatuur click to hear 2 'temperature' - (de) thermometer click to hear 'thermometer' - (de) graden click to hear 'degrees' - Celsius click to hear 2
koud click to hear 'cold' - warm click to hear 'warm' - heet click to hear 'hot'
Water freezes at 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) - (het) vriespunt click to hear 'freezing point' = (het) smeltpunt click to hear 'melting point'
Average human body temperature is 98.6°F, 36.9°C - slightly below 100° Fahrenheit (38° Celsius) - (de) lichaamstemperatuur click to hear 2 'body temperature'
Water boils at 100° Celsius (212° Fahrenheit) - (het) kookpunt click to hear 'boiling point'
Room temperature is about 18° Celsius (65° Fahrenheit) - (de) kamertemperatuur click to hear 2
[a bar chart comparing Fahrenheit and Celsius]
[a bar chart comparing Fahrenheit and Celsius]
[a bar chart comparing  Fahrenheit and Celsius] Medical

(de) koorts click to hear 2 ('fever')
(de) verhoging click to hear ('a slight fever, a temperature')

degrees
graden
click to
      hear
degrees Celsius
graden Celsius
click to
      hear
35
vijfendertig
click to
      hear
36
zesendertig
click to
      hear
37
zevenendertig
click to
      hear
38
achtendertig
click to
      hear
39
negenendertig
click to
      hear
40
veertig
click to
      hear
41
eenenveertig
click to
      hear
42
tweeënveertig
click to
      hear
36.9
zesendertig negen
click to
      hear
0
nul
click to
      hear
1
één
click to
      hear
2
twee
click to
      hear
3
drie
click to
      hear
4
vier
click to
      hear
5
vijf
click to
      hear
6
zes
click to
      hear
7
zeven
click to
      hear
8
acht
click to
      hear
9
negen
click to
      hear

The Metric System

The length of the basic unit, the meter, was kind-of arbitrarily chosen (one ten-thousandth of a quarter of the Paris meridian) - but all other units of the metric system of weights and measures flow from that meter in decimal fashion, multiples of ten or reductions to one-tenth.
length volume weight
millimeter (mm)1mm = 0.001m ~ milligram (mg)1mg = 0.001g
centimeter (cm)1cm = 0.01m milliliter (ml)1ml = 1cm3
= 0.001L
~ gram (g)1g = weight of
1cm3 water
decimeter (dm)1dm = 10cm = 0.1m liter (L)1L = 1dm3 = 1000cm3
(10x10x10cm)
~
meter (m)1m ~
kilometer (km)1km = 1000m ~ kilogram (kg)1 kg = 1000g
= weight of 1L water

Hear Dutch

the: de click to hear 2 / het click to hear 2 3 - 't click to hear ->>
Plurals always take 'de'
a: (een) - 'n click to hear / one: één click to hear 2 3

(de) lengte click to hear 2 ('length') (de) breedte click to hear ('width') (de) diepte click to hear 2 ('depth') (de) hoogte click to hear 2 ('height') (de) dikte click to hear 2 ('thickness')
(de) afstand click to hear ('distance') (de) doorsnede click to hear 2 (['cross-cut'] 'diameter' - also: 'average') (de) diameter click to hear ('diameter') (de) straal click to hear ('radius' - circle)
(de) afmetingen click to hear 2 ('dimensions, measurements, size') (de) hoeveelheid click to hear ('amount') (het) aantal click to hear )'number, quantity')
(de) grootte click to hear 2 3 - ('size')
groot click to hear (grote click to hear 2) ('large; big; tall; great') // klein click to hear (kleine click to hear klein kleine click to hear) ('small, little') ‑>>
(de) maat click to hear 2 ('size' - clothes, shoes) ‑>> - plural: maten click to hear ('measurements')
millimeter click to hear
1mm = 1/1000 m

(de) centimeter click to hear
1cm = 1/100 m

((de) decimeter click to hear)
(1dm = 1/10 m)

(de) meter click to hear
m

kilometer click to hear
1km = 1000m
(het) oppervlak click to hear 2 ('area') (de) oppervlakte click to hear 2 ('area') 'vierkante meter' click to hear ('square meter')
(het) volume click to hear ('volume') (de) inhoud click to hear ('volume;' also: 'contents')
(de) liter click to hear
(de) milliliter click to hear = cc click to hear = cm³ 'kubieke centimeter' click to hear = 1/1000 of a liter
(de) eetlepel click to hear 'Tablespoon' - 15ml (de) theelepel click to hear the Dutch teaspoon is 3ml
(het) mespuntje click to hear 2 ('knifetip') is a very small amount, something like a pinch, maybe less - een mespuntje cayennepeper click to hear
(het) gewicht click to hear ('weight')
(de) massa click to hear 2 ('mass')
(het) milligram click to hear 2
1mg = 1/1000 g
(het) gram click to hear
g
(het) kilogram click to hear 2
1 kg = 1000 g
= (de/het) kilo click to hear 2 (de) ton click to hear
1 ton = 1000 kilograms
In Dutch, the units of measure are rarely used in the plural (except some in time.)
1 meter, 2 meter click to hear 2 - 1 liter, 2 liter click to hear 2 - 1 kilo, 2 kilo click to hear 2 - 500 gram click to hear 2
pond click to hear (500 grams, about 1 pound) ons click to hear 2 (100 grams, about 3 ounces)
Though widely used, (het) pond and (het) ons are not official weights.
Een ons ham click to hear 2 3 ('100 grams, about 3 ounces of ham')
Een pond kaas click to hear 2 ('500 grams, about a pound of cheese')
Elk pondje gaat door 't mondje. click to hear ('Every pound passes through the mouth.' - dieting slogan.)
(de) meter
(de) centimeter
(de) millimeter
(de) kilometer
(de) decimeter

hear
(~ 1 yard)
(~ 4/10 inch)
(~ 1/25 inch)
(~ 6/10 mile)
(~ 4 inches)


(de/het) kilo,
(het) kilogram
(het) gram
(het) pond
(het) ons

hear
(~ 2 Lb)
(~ 2 Lb)
(~ 1/25 oz.)
(~ 1 Lb)
(~ 3 oz)

'Pond' (½ kilogram, 500 gram) and 'ons' (100 gram) are often used in Dutch shops, but are not official weights.
(de) liter
(de) milliliter
cc
(de) kubieke centimeter (cm3)

hear
(~ 4 cups)
(~ 1/25 fl. oz.)
(~ 1/25 fl. oz.)
(~ 1/25 fl. oz.)


(de) temperatuur
graden
Celsius
(de) koorts

hear
(temperature)
(degrees)
(Celsius)
(fever)

(de) lengte
(de) hoogte
(de) breedte
(de) diepte

hear
(length)
(height)
(width)
(depth)

(de) afstand
(de) oppervlakte
(de) inhoud
(het) gewicht

hear
(distance)
(surface area)
(volume)
(weight)

[an old kilogram weight]
(het) gewicht click to hear
See also: Related Words Numbers in Dutch - Science
Dutch Words and Phrases for Travelers - Everyday Dutch for Basic Conversation and Reading

I found the basic numbers in Chambers' Twentieth Century Dictionary and in The Merriam-Webster Dictionary; the Encyclopaedia Britannica provided the meter story.

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copyright © 2006 Marco Schuffelen - All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2