短小精悍

duǎnxiǎojīnghàn
idiom #41,364

Meanings

  1. 1 short in stature but fierce and capable (of a person)
  2. 2 concise and forceful (of writing or a speech)

Examples

Zhè piān shèlùn duǎnxiǎojīnghàn, yīzhēn-jiànxiě.
This editorial is short, sharp, and goes straight to the heart of the matter.
Tā gèzi suī ǎi, què duǎnxiǎojīnghàn, fǎnyìng jí kuài.
He may be short, but he's compact and fierce, with lightning reactions.
Gōngsī xūyào yī piān duǎnxiǎojīnghàn de xuānchuán wén'àn.
The company needs a short, punchy piece of marketing copy.

Tips

history
From 《·游侠》, describing the knight-errant Guo Jie: '为人短小精悍' — 'Guo Jie was short in build but sharp and tough.' The original applies to people; the 'concise writing' sense came later by analogy.
usage
For people, positive — small build + impressive ability. For writing, positive — brief but powerful. Never use it to mean merely 'short.'

Stroke Order

duǎn
xiǎo
jīng
hàn