Cette page dans ta langue
English العربية Deutsch Español 日本語 한국어 Português हिन्दी فارسی 中文
A2 adjective Neutre #1,200 le plus courant 2 min de lecture

みじかい

mijikai /miʑikai/
Entraîne-toi

Overview

The Japanese word 'みじかい' (mi-ji-kai) is an i-adjective meaning 'short' or 'brief'. It's commonly used to describe length, duration, or even the distance of something. Like all i-adjectives, its ending changes depending on its grammatical function in a sentence.

**Basic Conjugation:**

  • Positive Present/Future (Plain Form): みじかい (short, it is short)
  • Example: 鉛筆はみじかい。 (Enpitsu wa mijikai.) - The pencil is short.
  • Negative Present/Future (Plain Form): みじかくない (not short, it is not short)
  • Example: その話はみじかくない。 (Sono hanashi wa mijikakunai.) - That story is not short.
  • Past Positive (Plain Form): みじかかった (was short, it was short)
  • Example: 彼の髪はみじかかった。 (Kare no kami wa mijikakatta.) - His hair was short.
  • Past Negative (Plain Form): みじかくなかった (was not short, it was not short)
  • Example: 映画はみじかくなかった。 (Eiga wa mijikakunatta.) - The movie was not short.

* **Positive Present/Future:** みじかいです (is short)

  • Example: 彼のスピーチはみじかいです。 (Kare no supiichi wa mijikai desu.) - His speech is short.

* **Negative Present/Future:** みじかくないです (is not short)

  • Example: このスカートはみじかくないです。 (Kono sukaato wa mijikakunai desu.) - This skirt is not short.

* **Past Positive:** みじかかったです (was short)

  • Example: 昔、私の携帯はみじかかったです。 (Mukashi, watashi no keitai wa mijikakatta desu.) - My phone used to be short.

* **Past Negative:** みじかくなかったです (was not short)

  • Example: その道はみじかくなかったです。 (Sono michi wa mijikakunatta desu.) - That road was not short.

**Adverbial Form (to modify verbs or other adjectives):**

  • みじかく (shortly, briefly)
  • To make something short: 短くする (mijika ku suru) - to shorten
  • Example: 髪をみじかく切った。 (Kami o mijikaku kitta.) - I cut my hair short.

* みじかい話 (mijikai hanashi) - a short story/conversation

  • Height (less common, but possible for objects):
  • みじかい木 (mijikai ki) - a short tree (though '低い' hikui is more common for height)

**Distinction from other words:**

  • While 'みじかい' generally refers to physical length or duration, '低い' (hikui) is specifically used for describing low height. For example, you would say '背が低い' (se ga hikui) for a person who is short in height, not '背がみじかい'.

Understanding 'みじかい' is fundamental for describing various aspects of the world around you in Japanese. Its regular i-adjective conjugations make it relatively straightforward to master.

Exemples

1

スカートがみじかいですね。

clothing

The skirt is short, isn't it?

2

みじかい時間でよくがんばった。

time

You did very well in a short amount of time.

3

人生はみじかい。

life philosophy

Life is short.

4

このひもはみじかくて届かない。

objects

This string is too short and won't reach.

5

みじかい髪が似合いますね。

appearance

Short hair suits you.

Collocations courantes

短い時間
短い命
短い言葉
短い文

Souvent confondu avec

みじかい vs ちいさい
While both みじかい (mijikakai) and ちいさい (chiisai) can translate to 'small' or 'short' in English, they have distinct uses in Japanese. みじかい specifically refers to physical length or duration, meaning 'short' in terms of an object's length or the duration of time. For example, you would use みじかい to describe a short pencil (みじかいえんぴつ) or a short movie (みじかいえいが). ちいさい, on the other hand, refers to general size or stature, meaning 'small' or 'little.' You would use ちいさい to describe a small dog (ちいさいいぬ) or a small house (ちいさいいえ).

Modèles grammaticaux

Noun + が + みじかい (Noun is short): This pattern is used to describe a noun that is short in length or duration. For example, 髪がみじかい (Kami ga mijikai - Hair is short). みじかい + Noun (Short Noun): This pattern is used to describe a noun as short. For example, みじかいえんぴつ (Mijikai enpitsu - Short pencil). Verb-て-form + みじかい (Verb is short): While less common, this can be used to describe an action or state that is short-lived. For example, 彼の話は短かった (Kare no hanashi wa mijikakatta - His story was short/brief).

Comment l'utiliser

Notes d'usage

'みじかい' (短い) is an i-adjective in Japanese, meaning 'short' or 'brief'. It can be used to describe length, duration, or height. When describing length or height, it's typically used for inanimate objects or non-human entities. For example, 'みじかいペン' (a short pen) or 'みじかいスカート' (a short skirt). When referring to the duration of time, it means 'brief' or 'short-lived'. For instance, 'みじかい時間' (a short time) or 'みじかい休み' (a short break). It can also be used in a more figurative sense to describe something that is concise or succinct, such as 'みじかい説明' (a short explanation). It's important to note that when referring to a person's height, a different word, 'せがひくい' (背が低い), which literally means 'low in stature', is typically used instead of 'みじかい'. 'みじかい' directly modifies nouns, and its form changes in different grammatical contexts, like other i-adjectives. For example, to make it negative, it becomes 'みじかくない' (not short), and to describe an action, it becomes 'みじかく' (shortly).

Erreurs courantes

Confusing it with 'chiisai' (small). 'Mijikai' specifically refers to length or duration, while 'chiisai' refers to general size.

Astuces

💡

「短い」と「小さい」の違い

「短い」は主に長さや期間が限られていることを表すのに対し、「小さい」は大きさや量が少ないことを表します。例えば、丈の短いスカートは「短いスカート」と言いますが、サイズの小さい服は「小さい服」と言います。
💡

文脈による使い分け

「短い」は様々な文脈で使われますが、それぞれの文脈でニュアンスが異なります。例えば、「短い命」は「はかない命」という意味合いを含み、「短い休み」は「あっという間に終わる休み」というニュアンスがあります。文脈に合わせて適切な意味を理解することが重要です。
💡

対義語

「短い」の主な対義語は「長い（ながい）」です。長さや期間の長短を対比させる際に使われます。例えば、「短い鉛筆」と「長い鉛筆」、「短い話」と「長い話」など。

Origine du mot

200+ WORDS origin history.

Contexte culturel

In Japanese culture, brevity and conciseness are often valued, which can be reflected in the use of words like 'みじかい'. When referring to time, 'みじかい' can imply efficiency or a fleeting moment, which can be seen as either positive or negative depending on the context. For example, a 'みじかい' meeting might be appreciated for its efficiency, while a 'みじかい' vacation might be lamented for its brevity. When describing physical objects, the perception of 'shortness' can also be culturally influenced. For instance, in some traditional arts or crafts, specific proportions are considered ideal, and something 'みじかい' might be seen as deviating from that ideal. However, in modern contexts, 'みじかい' can simply be a neutral descriptor. The term can also subtly influence social interactions; for example, a 'みじかい' response might be interpreted as direct and to the point, or it could be seen as curt, depending on the relationship between the speakers and the specific situation. Furthermore, in educational settings, 'みじかい' explanations are often preferred for their clarity and ease of understanding, especially for complex topics.

Astuce mémo

Visualize something short, like a 'mini-kaiju' (mini monster) or a 'mini-car' to remember 'mijikai' means short.

Teste-toi

fill blank

日本語の「みじかい」の正しい漢字は何ですか？

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
fill blank

「みじかい」の対義語は何ですか？

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
fill blank

「みじかい」を使って文を作りなさい。

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :

Score : /3

Contenu associé

C'tait utile ?

Commentaires (0)

Connectez-vous pour Commenter
Pas encore de commentaires. Soyez le premier à partager vos idées !