短袖 (duǎn xiù) — short sleeves; short-sleeved shirt

Definition

noun

short sleevesshort-sleeved shirt

Measure word · 件

短袖。
Xià tiān wǒ xǐ huan chuān duǎn xiù.
I like to wear short-sleeved shirts in summer.
短袖，。
Zhè jiàn duǎn xiù shì mián de, chuān zhuó hěn shū fu.
This short-sleeved shirt is cotton and very comfortable to wear.
短袖，。
Tā mǎi le liǎng jiàn duǎn xiù, yí jiàn bái sè yí jiàn lán sè.
He bought two short-sleeved shirts, one white and one blue.

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 short length and 袖 gives sleeve, together naming a short sleeve or short-sleeved shirt.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衣衣yīclothing

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

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

袖 pairs 衣 (clothing) with 由, which provides the sound.

Appears in