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矮个子 (ǎi gè zi) — short person; person of small stature

Definition

noun
short personperson of small stature
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 矮个子，。
    Tā suī rán shì yí gè ǎi gè zi, dàn lán qiú dǎ dé fēi cháng hǎo.
    Although he is a short person, he plays basketball very well.
  • 矮个子，。
    Nà ge ǎi gè zi pǎo dé hěn kuài, wǒ men dōu zhuī bú shàng.
    That short guy runs so fast that none of us can catch up.
  • 矮个子，。
    ǎi gè zi Yě yǒu zì jǐ de yōu shì, bǐ rú líng huó.
    Short people also have their own advantages, such as agility.

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.

矮ǎishort
个子height
个gèindividual子zǐsuffix
后缀Suffix

矮 gives short and 个子 gives height; a short height describes a person of small stature.

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
矢矢shǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
委
委wěi矮ǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

矮 is made of 矢 and 委: 矢 relates to the meaning, and 委 gives the sound.

Open 矮 →

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 個; 个 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
固
固gù個ge
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 个, the form 個 pairs 亻 (person) with 固 as a sound part.

Open 个 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
People (General)Size & Dimension

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