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长话短说 (cháng huà duǎn shuō) — to make a long story short; to cut a long story short

Definition

A set idiom meaning 'to make a long story short' — used at the start or middle of a summary to signal you're skipping details. Often appears as a sentence adverbial before the shortened version of the story.

idiom
to make a long story shortto cut a long story short

Examples

  • 长话短说，。
    cháng huà duǎn shuō, Wǒ men zuì hòu jué dìng bú qù lǚ xíng le.
    To make a long story short, we finally decided not to go on the trip.
  • ，长话短说。
    Shì qing hěn fù zá, cháng huà duǎn shuō jiù shì tā bù gān le.
    It's a long story. To cut it short, he quit.
  • ，长话短说，。
    Wǒ jiù bú xì shuō le, cháng huà duǎn shuō, tā chí dào le yí gè xiǎo shí.
    I won't go into details. To make a long story short, she was an hour late.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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 話; 话 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánword
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑話huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 話, 言 relates to words and 𠯑 gives the sound; the simplified 话 is a shorthand, so its right side is not that sound part.

Open 话 →

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
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.

Open 短 →

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 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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