TongTong
Sign in

短跑 (duǎn pǎo) — sprint; short-distance running (as a sport or event)

Definition

noun
sprintshort-distance running (as a sport or event)

Examples

  • 短跑。
    Tā cān jiā le nán zǐ yì bǎi mǐ duǎn pǎo bǐ sài.
    He participated in the men's 100-meter sprint competition.
  • 短跑。
    duǎn pǎo Yùn dòng yuán xū yào hěn qiáng de bào fā lì.
    Sprinters need very strong explosive power.
  • 短跑。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng liàn xí duǎn pǎo lái tí shēng sù dù.
    She practices sprinting every morning to improve her speed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

短duǎnshort
跑pǎorun

短 (short) + 跑 (run): a run over a short distance.

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
矢矢shǐ
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.

Open 短 →

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
足足zúfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
包
包bāo跑pǎo
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

跑 combines 足, showing a foot, with 包, which gives the sound.

Open 跑 →
Appears in
Sports & Athletics

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.