矮 meaning and stroke order
(of a person) short; (of a wall etc) low; (of rank) inferior (to); lower (than)
How to write 矮, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 矮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of a person) short
- (of a wall etc) low
- (of rank) inferior (to); lower (than)
How 矮 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dart.
矢 gives the meaning and 委 hints at the sound.
Radical: 矢 (arrow), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 矮
矮 (ǎi) puts 矢 (shǐ, arrow or dart) on the left as the meaning part and 委 (wěi) on the right as the sound hint. Picture someone so short they only reach the height of a dart thrown low.
矮 describes people who are short and things like walls, tables or buildings that are low. It can also mean lower in rank, as in 矮一级 (one grade lower). Example: 他比我矮一点。(Tā bǐ wǒ ǎi yīdiǎn.) He is a little shorter than me.
Common mistake: Learners often use 短 (duǎn) for a short person, but 短 is for length, like a short rope or short time, while height uses 矮. Also watch the right side: it is 委, not 季 (jì), which looks similar.
Common words with 矮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
矮 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 矮
How many strokes are in 矮?
矮 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 矮 mean?
矮 (ǎi) means (of a person) short; (of a wall etc) low; (of rank) inferior (to); lower (than). A common word with it is 矮小 (ǎixiǎo), meaning "short and small; low and small".
How do you pronounce 矮?
矮 is pronounced ǎi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 矮?
The radical of 矮 is 矢, which carries the idea of "arrow". Dictionaries list 矮 under this radical.
Is 矮 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 矮 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 矮 and 低 (dī)?
Both can mean low, but 矮 is mainly about the physical height of people, plants or objects. 低 is broader and covers position, sound, price and level, as in 低价 (low price) or 声音低 (a low voice).
Is 矮子 rude to say about someone?
Yes, 矮子 (ǎizi) can sound insulting when used to describe a real person. To be polite, say 个子不高 (gèzi bù gāo), meaning not very tall.