About
The character 短, meaning "short", combines the component 矢, an arrow, with 豆, which originally depicted a ritual food vessel but here likely functions phonetically. This structure suggests a conceptual link between arrows, as standard-length measuring tools, and the idea of measuring a deficit or lack. Its core meaning has consistently referred to physical shortness or brevity, but from this concrete basis it developed abstract applications, such as indicating shortcomings or faults in a person, a sense already present in classical usage. The traditional form remains identical to the simplified one in this case, preserving its original compositional logic.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他的头发很短。
我发了一条短信。
会议时间很短。
因为时间短，我们得快点儿。
每个人都有自己的短处。
短期的旅行可以放松心情。
虽然假期很短，但我们玩得很开心。
在短时间内掌握一门外语是很困难的。