短小精悍 — “Small in stature but vigorous and capable (describing a person)”
短小精悍 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Small in stature but vigorous and capable (describing a person)”. Concise and forceful, brief and powerful (describing an article, speech, or plan). Literally, “Short and capable”.
Frequency
短小精悍 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 短duǎn
- 小xiǎo
- 精jīng
- 悍hàn
短小精悍 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 短小精悍
那篇评论文章篇幅虽不长，但内容短小精悍，观点独到，让人受益匪浅。
Although that review article was not long, its content was concise and powerful, offering unique insights that greatly benefited readers.
Origin and Story of 短小精悍
During the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian, in his work "Biographies of the Wandering Knights," described these knights as men of righteousness who came to the aid of those in distress and were willing to sacrifice for their friends.
One such knight, Guo Jie, was small in stature but shrewd and tough.
He abstained from alcohol but could be quite ruthless, resorting to killing at the slightest displeasure. He would risk his life to avenge friends and was known to harbor fugitives and commit illegal acts.
Idioms Related to 短小精悍
Synonyms of 短小精悍
More idioms starting with 短
- duǎn短zhōng中qǔ取cháng长make the best of a limited selection
- duǎn短bīng兵jiē接zhàn战engage in close-quarters combat
- duǎn短bīng兵xiāng相jiē接Engage in close, intense confrontation
- duǎn短dāo刀zhí直rù入get straight to the point
- duǎn短tàn叹cháng长xū吁to sigh and lament repeatedly
- duǎn短xū吁cháng长tàn叹sighing repeatedly and deeply
- duǎn短chī吃shǎo少chuān穿short of food and clothing
- duǎn短yuán垣zì自yú逾willfully transgress established norms
- duǎn短shòu寿cù促mìng命to die young
- duǎn短xiǎo小jīng精gàn干small, capable, and efficient
- duǎn短píng平kuài快low investment, short duration, quick results
- duǎn短jīn斤shǎo少liǎng两give short measure
Questions about 短小精悍
- What does 短小精悍 mean?
- 短小精悍 (duǎn xiǎo jīng hàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Small in stature but vigorous and capable (describing a person)”.
- How do you pronounce 短小精悍?
- 短小精悍 is pronounced duǎn xiǎo jīng hàn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 短小精悍 literally mean?
- Literally, 短小精悍 means “Short and capable”. It is used to mean “Small in stature but vigorous and capable (describing a person)”.
- Where does 短小精悍 come from?
- 短小精悍 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 短小精悍?
- 形容人身躯短小，精明强悍。也形容文章或发言简短而有力。