短小

duǎnxiǎo
adjective #33,111

Meanings

  1. 1 short and small
  2. 2 brief and concise (of writings)
  3. 3 short (of stature)

Examples

HSK 6
Tā shēncái duǎnxiǎo, dàn hěn línghuó.
He is short in stature but very nimble.
HSK 7-9
Zhè piān wénzhāng duǎnxiǎo-jīnghàn.
This article is short, sharp, and to the point.

Tips

usage
Most often appears in the four-character set phrase 短小精悍 (duǎnxiǎo jīnghàn, "short and powerful") - used to praise concise writing, lean fighters, or compact effective products. Used of physical size for people, 短小 is neutral-to-slightly-negative compared to the more polite 矮小 (ǎixiǎo).
memory
(short - in length/duration) + (small - in size). The pairing covers two dimensions at once.

Stroke Order

duǎn
xiǎo