Meaning of 矮小
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- short and small
- low and small
- undersized
How to use 矮小
矮小 describes people, animals, buildings, or plants that are short and small in size, and it often appears in written or descriptive Chinese. It can also describe something low and cramped, like an old house. Example: 他个子很矮小。(Tā gèzi hěn ǎixiǎo.) He is short and slight in build.
矮小 combines 矮 (ǎi, short in height) with 小 (xiǎo, small). Picture someone who is both short and small, so the word stacks two ideas of littleness into one.
Common mistake: Learners often use 小 alone for a short person, but 小 means small or young, not short in height. For height, use 矮 (ǎi) or 矮小, and remember 矮 is third tone, not ài.
矮小 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
矮 ǎi · short · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
小 xiǎo · small · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 矮小.
| 小姐 | xiǎojiě | young lady; miss |
| 小时 | xiǎoshí | hour |
| 小朋友 | xiǎopéngyǒu | child; kid (used to refer to a child, or by an adult to address a child, or, in Taiwan, to |
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school; primary school |
| 小孩儿 | xiǎoháir | erhua variant of 小孩[xiao3 hai2] |
| 小学生 | xiǎoxuéshēng | primary school student; schoolchild |
| 小心 | xiǎoxīn | to be careful; to take care |
| 小时候 | xiǎoshíhou | in one's childhood |
| 小组 | xiǎozǔ | group |
| 小说 | xiǎoshuō | novel; fiction |
| 大小 | dàxiǎo | large and small; size |
| 从小 | cóngxiǎo | from childhood; from a young age |
Questions about 矮小
What does 矮小 mean?
矮小 (ǎixiǎo) means "short and small; low and small" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 矮小?
矮小 is made of 2 characters: 矮 (13 strokes), 小 (3 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 矮小 an HSK word?
Yes. 矮小 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the opposite of 矮小?
The common opposite is 高大 (gāodà), meaning tall and big. You will often see the two contrasted, for example 高大的树 and 矮小的树.
Is 矮小 rude when describing a person?
It is a neutral descriptive word, but saying it directly to someone can feel blunt, like calling them short and puny. In polite conversation people often say 个子不高 (gèzi bù gāo) instead.