短 duǎn — lack; short
夏天的白天长，冬天的白天短。Xià tiān de bái tiān cháng, dōng tiān de bái tiān duǎn.In summer the days are long; in winter the days are short.
Common words: 短信 (duǎn xìn)、短期 (duǎn qī)、短裤 (duǎn kù)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "short"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "short", including 短 (duǎn), 矮 (ǎi). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "short" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 短 (duǎn), 矮 (ǎi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span duǎn, ǎi — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 短 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 短 duǎnlack; shortUseful words: 短信, 短期
- 矮 ǎishort (not tall)Useful words: 矮小, 矮人
Common words for these 2 "short" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 短 (duǎn) — so "short" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "short".
矮 ǎi — short (not tall)
弟弟比我矮一个头。Dì di bǐ wǒ ǎi yí ge tóu.My younger brother is a head shorter than me.
Common words: 矮小 (ǎi xiǎo)、矮人 (ǎi rén)、矮子 (ǎi zi)
All 2 characters
Open 短、矮 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.