Chinese word

袖珍

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiù zhēn

Meaning

  • adjectivepocket-sized

Example

我有一本袖珍词典。wǒ yǒu yì běn xiù zhēn cí diǎn

I have a pocket-sized dictionary.

Illustration for 袖珍 (pocket-sized)

More examples

这台袖珍相机很适合旅行。zhè tái xiù zhēn xiàng jī hěn shì hé lǚ xíng

This pocket-sized camera is great for travel.

Core concept

A full-sized object reduced to a compact, hand-held form that can travel in a pocket.

Common phrases

  • 袖珍词典xiù zhēn cí diǎn

    pocket-sized dictionary

  • 袖珍相机xiù zhēn xiàng jī

    pocket-sized camera

Similar words

小巧xiáo qiǎo: Small with delicate details and a neat, cute appearance.
便携biàn xié: Designed to be carried easily and conveniently.
小型xiǎo xíng: Made in a small size rather than a full-size form.
轻便qīng biàn: Light to carry and easy to use or handle.

Definition in Chinese

用来形容物品的体积很小，能装进口袋或袖中，便于随身携带。yòng lái xíng róng wù pǐn de tǐ jī hén xiǎo néng zhuāng jìn kǒu dài huò xiù zhōng biàn yú suí shēn xié dài

Word origin

袖 (xiù, "sleeve") + 珍 (zhēn, "precious") gives the image of something valuable kept close in a sleeve, leading to the modern sense of compact size.

Usage tips

  • In a catalog or shop description, this word can signal a compact edition or model without suggesting that the object has lost its main function.

Other meanings

  • pocketadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 袖珍版xiù zhēn bǎnpocket editionnoun
  • 袖珍本xiù zhēn běnpocket-sized booknoun

Word lists with this word