窄小 (zhǎi xiǎo) — cramped, narrow and small (of a space or clothing)

Definition

adjective
crampednarrow and small (of a space or clothing)

Examples

  • 窄小。
    Zhè ge fáng jiān tài zhǎi xiǎo le.
    This room is too cramped.
  • 窄小。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu yǒu diǎn zhǎi xiǎo.
    This piece of clothing is a bit tight.
  • 窄小。
    Nà tiáo xiǎo lù fēi cháng zhǎi xiǎo.
    That path is very narrow.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

窄zhǎinarrow
小xiǎosmall

窄 and 小 both describe something narrow and small.

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
穴穴xuécave; hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà窄zhǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The top part 穴 shows a cave or hole, while the lower part 乍 gives the sound.

Open 窄 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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