矮小 (ǎi xiǎo) — short and small (in stature); undersized | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

adjective

short and small (in stature)undersized

Examples

矮小，。
Tā shēn cái ǎi xiǎo, dàn lì qi hěn dà.
He is short and small in stature, but very strong.
矮小，。
Zhè zhī gǒu bǐ tóng lèi ǎi xiǎo, kě pǎo dé tè bié kuài.
This dog is smaller than others of its kind, but runs especially fast.
矮小，。
Tā kàn qǐ lái ǎi xiǎo, shí jì shang hěn yǒu lì liàng.
He looks short and small, but actually he is very powerful.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

矮 means short in height, and 小 means small, together describing an undersized build.

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.

矢委矮

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

委

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Appears in

Size & Dimension

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