Chinese word

短

Pronunciation

Pinyinduǎn

Meaning

  • adjectiveshort

Example

这件衣服太短了。zhè jiàn yī fú tài duǎn le

This piece of clothing is too short.

Illustration for 短 (short)

More examples

这次会议很短，只开了十分钟。zhè cì huì yì hěn duǎn zhǐ kāi le shí fēn zhōng

This meeting was very short and lasted only ten minutes.

Core concept

A line, period, or distance that does not reach the expected length.

Common phrases

  • 袖子太短xiù zi tài duǎn

    sleeves too short

  • 短时间duǎn shí jiān

    short time

Similar words

矮ǎi: Describes a person whose height is below what is usual.

Definition in Chinese

长度小于一般或预期的状态，用来形容物体、时间、距离等不长。cháng dù xiǎo yú yì bān huò yù qī de zhuàng tài yòng lái xíng róng wù tǐ shí jiān jù lí děng bù cháng

Word origin

短 (duǎn, "short") is formed from 矢 (shǐ, "arrow") + 豆 (dòu, "bean"), with 矢 pointing to measured length and 豆 mainly supplying the sound.

Usage tips

  • When clothing does not cover as much as expected, 太短了 (tài duǎn le, "too short") is a natural complaint, while 有点短 (yǒudiǎn duǎn, "a little short") sounds milder.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word