短讯 (duǎn xùn) — short news item; brief message

Definition

A short message or news dispatch (by phone, email, or internal memo). Compare 信 (personal letter/message) and 通知 (formal notice to a group).

noun

short news itembrief message

Measure word · 条

短讯。
Wǒ gāng gāng shōu dào yì tiáo duǎn xùn.
I just received a short message.
短讯。
Gōng sī yòng duǎn xùn tōng zhī le suǒ yǒu yuán gōng.
The company notified all employees with a brief dispatch.
短讯。
Zhè tiáo duǎn xùn de nèi róng fēi cháng zhòng yào.
The content of this brief news item is very important.

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 means brief and 讯 means news or message, giving a short news item or dispatch.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 訊; 讯 is its simplified writing.

言卂訊

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

卂

卂xùn訊xùn

Same sound today

The traditional form 訊 combines 言 (words) with 卂 as a sound part; the simplified 讯 is a shorthand.