What is the Kanji for "Short"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Short", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Short" is "短".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Mijika".

Its onyomi reading is "Tan".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "矢" means "Arrow" and can be read as "Ya" and "Shi". And The kanji "豆" means "Beans" and can be read as "Tou", "Zu", and "Mame".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "短" mean in japanese?

"短" means "Short".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N2 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

短い: "Short". The Japanese adjective '短い (みじかい)' means 'short'. This adjective is used to describe something that has a relatively small length or duration. It can be used to describe objects, time periods, or even physical attributes of a person or animal. For example: The book is short - (その本は短い). I have short hair - (私は髪が短い).

短: "Short". The prefix '短 (たん)' means 'short'. It is used to modify nouns or other words to indicate that something has a relatively small length or duration. For example: 短距離 (たんきょり) - short distance, 短時間 (たんじかん) - short time.

短期: "Short-term". The Japanese noun '短期 (たんき)' means 'short-term'. It refers to a period of time that is relatively brief, usually measured in days, weeks or months. It can be used to describe things like loans, projects, or plans that are intended to be completed or implemented in a short amount of time. For example: Short-term goals - (短期の目標), Short-term housing - (短期の住宅)

短大: "Junior college". The Japanese noun '短大 (たんだい)' refers to a 'junior college', which is a type of higher education institution in Japan that provides a two-year program leading to an associate's degree or diploma. These colleges offer a more focused and specialized curriculum compared to a full four-year university. Examples: I graduated from a junior college - (私は短大を卒業しました). She is currently attending a junior college - (彼女は今、短大に通っています).

短所: "Flaw" or "Weakness". The Japanese noun '短所 (たんしょ)' means 'flaw' or 'weakness'. It refers to a defect, imperfection or shortcoming in a person, object or situation. It is often used to acknowledge or discuss the limitations or negative aspects of something. For example: Her flaws make her more human - (彼女の短所はより人間らしくさせる). He is aware of his weaknesses - (彼は自分の短所を認識している).

短期大学: "Junior college". The Japanese noun '短期大学 (たんきだいがく)' refers to a junior college, which is a type of post-secondary educational institution in Japan that provides a 2-year program. Junior colleges offer vocational and professional training, and their programs are generally shorter and more specialized than those of a 4-year university. For example: She studies at a junior college - (彼女は短期大学で勉強しています).

短縮: "Abbreviation". The verbal noun '短縮 (たんしゅく)' means 'abbreviation'. This word refers to the act of shortening or condensing something, such as a word, phrase, or text. It is commonly used when discussing ways to make language more concise and efficient. For example: The title was shortened by an abbreviation - (タイトルは略称によって短縮された). The report was given in an abbreviated form - (レポートは短縮された形式で行われた).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "た" is read as "ta". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "み" is read as "mi". The hiragana "じ" is read as "ji". And The hiragana "か" is read as "ka".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.