矮
short (in height); low
ǎi
What does 矮 mean?
矮 (ǎi) is the adjective for 'short in vertical dimension.' It describes people (他很矮 'he is short'), buildings, walls, fences, trees, and chairs — anything where you would measure height from the ground. Unlike English, Chinese uses different words for 'short in height' and 'short in length': for things measured by length — a piece of rope, hair, time — you must use 短 (duǎn), not 矮.
The opposite of 矮 is 高 (gāo, 'tall'). One nuance: 矮 carries no negative judgment in factual descriptions, but used pointedly about a person it can sound critical, so native speakers often soften it as 有点矮 ('a little short') or compare with 比 ('shorter than'). Common in everyday speech; needs no extra modifier to function as a complete predicate.
Note: Neutral and direct. Commenting on someone's height — 你很矮 — is more socially acceptable in China than in many English-speaking cultures, but it can still feel blunt; soften with 有点
Character breakdown
short in height; low
Memory hook: Think of an 'eye' (sounds like ǎi) that has to look UP to see everything — because it's short.
Example sentences
他比我矮一点。
Tā bǐ wǒ ǎi yìdiǎn.
He's a little shorter than me.
neutral
这把椅子太矮了。
Zhè bǎ yǐzi tài ǎi le.
This chair is too low.
spoken
我妹妹很矮，但是很可爱。
Wǒ mèimei hěn ǎi, dànshì hěn kě'ài.
My little sister is short, but very cute.
spoken
门很矮，小心你的头。
Mén hěn ǎi, xiǎoxīn nǐ de tóu.
The door is low — mind your head.
spoken
Common phrases with 矮
Synonyms
低 means 'low' in position or level — low price, low voice, low building roof. 矮 is about inherent height of a standing thing. A child is 矮; the music volume is 低.