What does 短 mean in Japanese?
短 means “short.” You will often see it in 短い (mijikai), the opposite of 長い (nagai, long).
Read タン, it forms words such as 短時間 (tanjikan, a short time) and 短期 (tanki, short-term).
Reading
On’yomi: タン (tan)
Kun’yomi: みじか-い (mijika-i)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 短 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | short |
| Stroke Count | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
短い covers both length and time: 短い髪 is short hair, and 短い休み is a short break. In compounds, 短 adds “short” to the second kanji, as in 短時間 and 短期. 短所 (weak point) is the opposite of 長所 (strong point), and 短気 describes someone who loses their temper easily.
Common Words
- 短い（みじかい / mijikai） — short
- 短時間（たんじかん / tanjikan） — a short time
- 短期（たんき / tanki） — short-term, short period
- 短所（たんしょ / tansho） — weak point, shortcoming
- 短気（たんき / tanki） — short temper, short-tempered
- 短大（たんだい / tandai） — junior college
Example Sentences
-
髪を短く切りました。
かみをみじかくきりました。 / Kami o mijikaku kirimashita.
I cut my hair short.
-
短い時間でしたが、楽しかったです。
みじかいじかんでしたが、たのしかったです。 / Mijikai jikan deshita ga, tanoshikatta desu.
It was brief, but I enjoyed it.
-
兄は少し短気です。
あにはすこしたんきです。 / Ani wa sukoshi tanki desu.
My older brother is a bit short-tempered.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
短期 (short-term) and 短気 (short-tempered) are both read たんき, so the kanji or the context tells you which one is meant. 短くする means “to make something shorter,” as in 髪を短くする. For a short person, use 背が低い instead of 短い.
Summary
Use 短い for short lengths and times, and tell 短期 and 短気 apart by their second kanji.
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.