The character 短 — “short”: how to write it and what it means
short
The Chinese character 短 is read duǎn and means “short”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 短
短 has 12 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 短, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 短 is made of
On the left, 矢 “arrow”, as in 矮 “short (in height)”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 短
- 短裤shortsHSK 3
- 短信text message, SMSHSK 4
- 短期short-termHSK 5
- 短处weak pointHSK 5
- 缩短shorten (length, time)HSK 5
- 长短length; pros and consHSK 6
- 短缺be in short supply; shortageHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 短?
短 has 12 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 短 mean?
短 means “short”. It appears in 短裤 (“shorts”), 短信 (“text message”), 短期 (“short-term”), 短处 (“weak point”).
How do you pronounce 短?
短 is read duǎn. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 短 have?
12 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 短 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free