短篇 (duǎn piān) — short piece of writing; short story | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

短篇 pairs naturally with 小说 to form 短篇小说 ('short story'); on its own it is a literary/genre term for 'short (literary) work', contrasted with 长篇 ('full-length').

noun

short piece of writingshort story

Measure word · 篇

Examples

。
Tā zuì jìn xiě le yì piān duǎn piān xiǎo shuō.
He recently wrote a short story.
短篇。
Zhè běn sǎn wén jí shōu lù le shí piān duǎn piān.
This essay collection includes ten short pieces.
短篇。
Dú zhě gèng xǐ huan mǎi duǎn piān zuò pǐn ér bú shì cháng piān xiǎo shuō.
Readers prefer buying short works over full-length novels.

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 gives brevity, and 篇 names a piece of writing.

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.

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.

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

竹扁篇

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

扁

扁biǎn篇piān

Same sound today

篇 combines 竹 with 扁: 竹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 扁 is the part used for the sound.

Appears in

Literature & Poetry

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