US and Metric Weights and Measures Compared

Length

inches to millimeters (mm)

inches to centimeters (cm)

inches and feet to meters and centimeters

feet to meters (m)

yards to meters (m)

miles to kilometers (km)

1 mile = 1.60934 kilometer		1 kilometer = 0.62137 miles		1 kilometer = 1000 meters		1 mile = 5280 feet = 1760 yards

Hear The Dutch Words

(de) el '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)

	U.S.	British	Dutch
teaspoon	5 ml	6 ml	3 ml - theelepel
dessert spoon		12 ml
Tablespoon	15 ml	18 ml	15 ml - eetlepel

cups to liters (L)

gallons to liters

Weight

ounces to grams (g)

pounds to kilograms (kg)

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)

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

Medical (de) koorts 2 ('fever') (de) verhoging ('a slight fever, a temperature')

degrees graden

degrees Celsius graden Celsius

35 vijfendertig

36 zesendertig

37 zevenendertig

38 achtendertig

39 negenendertig

40 veertig

41 eenenveertig

42 tweeënveertig

36.9 zesendertig negen

0 nul

1 één

2 twee

3 drie

4 vier

5 vijf

6 zes

7 zeven

8 acht

9 negen

The Metric System

• The centimeter is 1/100th of a meter
• The liter is the volume of a 10x10x10cm cube (1000cm³)
• The gram is the weight of one cubic centimeter (1cm³) of water (at 4°C and 1 atmosphere air pressure)
  The kilogram (or kilo) is the weight of 1 liter (1000cm³) of water (at 4°C and 1 atmosphere air pressure)

Hear Dutch

(de) lengte 2 ('length')

(de) breedte ('width')

(de) diepte 2 ('depth')

(de) hoogte 2 ('height')

(de) dikte 2 ('thickness')

(de) afstand ('distance')

(de) doorsnede 2 (['cross-cut'] 'diameter' - also: 'average')

(de) diameter ('diameter')

(de) straal ('radius' - circle)

(de) afmetingen 2 ('dimensions, measurements, size')

(de) hoeveelheid ('amount')

(het) aantal )'number, quantity')

millimeter 1mm = 1/1000 m

(de) centimeter 1cm = 1/100 m

((de) decimeter ) (1dm = 1/10 m)

(de) meter m

kilometer 1km = 1000m

(het) oppervlak 2 ('area')

(de) oppervlakte 2 ('area')

m² 'vierkante meter' ('square meter')

(het) volume ('volume')

(de) inhoud ('volume;' also: 'contents')

(de) liter

(de) milliliter = cc = cm³ 'kubieke centimeter' = 1/1000 of a liter

(de) eetlepel 'Tablespoon' - 15ml

(de) theelepel the Dutch teaspoon is 3ml

(het) mespuntje 2 ('knifetip') is a very small amount, something like a pinch, maybe less - een mespuntje cayennepeper

(het) gewicht ('weight')

(de) massa 2 ('mass')

(het) milligram 2 1mg = 1/1000 g

(het) gram g

(het) kilogram 2 1 kg = 1000 g

= (de/het) kilo 2

(de) ton 1 ton = 1000 kilograms

pond (500 grams, about 1 pound)		ons 2 (100 grams, about 3 ounces)
Though widely used, (het) pond and (het) ons are not official weights. Een ons ham 2 3 ('100 grams, about 3 ounces of ham') Een pond kaas 2 ('500 grams, about a pound of cheese') Elk pondje gaat door 't mondje. ('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)

(het) gewicht

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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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2