ChiramiN4 kanji · 12 strokes
短 means short
短
矢 arrow · 豆 bean
短Memory trick
An arrow (矢) next to a bean (豆), both small things to measure with: short.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- short, brevity, fault, defect
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 12
- School grade
- Grade 3 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) みじかい mijikai
みじかい (mijikai) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
From Chinese (onyomi) タン tan
タン (tan) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
短い みじかい · mijikai
short
Built from
- 矢 arrow
- 豆 beans
- 丷 split apart
- 口 mouth
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
矢 Used in 21 kanji
See all 4 at N5 and N4豆 Used in 12 kanji
丷 Used in 140 kanji
See all 17 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 短 mean?
Right: 短 means short.Not quite: 短 means short.In 短い, which reading does 短 use?
Right. 短い is read みじかい (mijikai): 短 takes みじか, its Japanese reading, with い after it.Not quite. 短い is read みじかい (mijikai): 短 takes みじか, its Japanese reading, with い after it.