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长短

長短
chángduǎn
noun HSK 6 #33,317

Meanings

  1. 1 length
  2. 2 right and wrong; merits and faults
  3. 3 mishap; accident (euphemism)

Characters

长
cháng
long
短
duǎn
short
Long and short - can refer to literal length or figurative disputes.

Examples

HSK 5
别在背后说人长短。
Bié zài bèihòu shuō rén chángduǎn.
Don't gossip about people behind their backs.
HSK 5
万一有个长短怎么办？
Wànyī yǒu gè chángduǎn zěnmebàn?
What if something bad happens?
HSK 7-9
这两条绳子长短不一样。
Zhè liǎng tiáo shéngzi chángduǎn bùyīyàng.
These two ropes are different lengths.

Tips

usage
说长短 means to gossip. 有个长短 is a euphemism for 'if something bad happens (death/injury).' These figurative meanings are very common in daily Chinese.

Stroke Order

长 cháng
短 duǎn