Japanese Conversation · Level 35
90 words
Japanese word
最短
Pronunciation
Romajisaitan
Meaning
- nounshortest
Example
最短の道で駅に行きます。sai tan no michi de eki ni i ki ma su
I will go to the station by the shortest route.
More examples
会議を最短で終わらせます。kai gi o sai tan de o wa ra se ma su
I will finish the meeting in the shortest possible time.
Core concept
Marks the option whose length, distance, or duration is the smallest among those being compared.
Common phrases
最短でsai tan de
in the shortest time
最短距離sai tan kyo ri
shortest distance
最短ルートsai tan rū to
shortest route
最短時間sai tan ji kan
shortest time
Definition in Japanese
複数のものを比べて、長さ・距離・時間などが最も短いこと。fuku sū no mo no o kura be te naga sa kyo ri ji kan na do ga motto mo mijika i ko to
Word origin
最短 (saitan) combines 最 (sai, "most") and 短 (tan, "short"), giving the sense of being short to the greatest degree.
Usage tips
- In everyday Japanese, 最短距離 (saitan kyori) refers to the least distance, while 最短時間 (saitan jikan) refers to the least time, so the noun does not specify what is being minimized.
Other meanings
- quickestnoun
Opposites
- 最長saichōlongestnoun
Related words
- 最短化saitankaminimizationnoun