缩小 (suō xiǎo) — to reduce, to shrink, to narrow
Definition
缩小 means 'to reduce/shrink' — works for physical size (clothes, fabric) and abstract scope (gap, scale, differences). Unlike 减少, it suggests things getting smaller in dimension, not just lower in number.
verb
to reduceto shrinkto narrow
Examples
- 缩小。Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài nǔ lì suō xiǎo chéng xiāng chā jù.The government is working hard to narrow the urban-rural gap.
- 缩小。Zhè jiàn máo yī xǐ le yǐ hòu suō xiǎo le hěn duō.This sweater shrank a lot after washing.
- 缩小。Gōng sī jué dìng suō xiǎo tóu zī guī mó.The company decided to reduce the scale of investment.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.