剪短 (jiǎn duǎn) — to cut short; to trim (by cutting shorter) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A verb-object phrase meaning to cut something shorter (hair, rope, branches). The 把 construction is common: 把 + thing + 剪短, with a result phrase if you specify the new length.

verb

to cut shortto trim (by cutting shorter)

Examples

剪短。
Wǒ xiǎng bǎ tóu fa jiǎn duǎn yì diǎn.
I want to get my hair cut shorter.
剪短。
Tā yòng jiǎn dāo bǎ shéng zi jiǎn duǎn le.
He cut the rope short with scissors.
，剪短。
Chūn tiān dào le, yuán dīng bǎ shù zhī jiǎn duǎn.
Spring has arrived, and the gardener trimmed the branches.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

剪 means to cut and 短 gives the result of being shorter.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刀刀dāoknife

Sound part声符shēngfú

歬

歬qián剪jiǎn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 剪, 刀 is the knife part and 歬 gives the sound. After 前 came to replace 歬, another 刀 was added to 剪.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

矢豆短

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

豆dòu短duǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

短 is built from 矢 and 豆. 豆 is used for its sound, while 矢 is the component linked to the meaning.

Appears in

Hygiene & Grooming

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