短
短 (duǎn) means “short”. It is made of 矢 + 豆 and has 12 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 短 into its parts
What 短 is made of
- 矢 shǐ — arrow
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 天 tiān — sky
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 大 dà — big
- 豆 dòu — beans
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丷 ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 一 — horizontal stroke
Origin hint: 矢 gives the meaning, 豆 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
短 stroke order
Example sentences
她的头发很短。Tā de tóufa hěn duǎn.Her hair is very short.
这个句子太短了吗？Zhège jùzi tài duǎn le ma?Is this sentence too short?
Words with 短
- 短信duǎnxìntext message
- 短处duǎnchùweakness
- 短裤duǎnkùshorts
- 短期duǎnqīshort-term
- 缩短suōduǎnto shorten
- 短促duǎncùshort
Also built with 矢
Quick facts
| Pinyin | duǎn |
|---|---|
| Meaning | short; brief |
| Strokes | 12 |
| Radical | 矢 (arrow, #111) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 3 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) · Old HSK 3 |
Questions about 短
What does 短 mean?
短 (duǎn) means “short; brief”.
How many strokes does 短 have?
短 has 12 strokes.
What is the radical of 短?
The radical of 短 is 矢 (shǐ, “arrow”), Kangxi radical number 111.
What parts make up 短?
短 is made of 矢 (arrow) and 豆 (beans).
Which HSK level is 短?
短 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 3.
Learn 短 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 62: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.