Definition
缩短 (suō duǎn) means 'to shorten' in terms of length, distance, or time — it focuses on making something physically or temporally shorter. This contrasts with 减少 (jiǎn shǎo), which means 'to reduce' in quantity or number (e.g., reduce costs, reduce people). Use 缩短 for things like roads, essays, or working hours; use 减少 for numbers or amounts.
verb
to shortento cut downto curtail
Examples
- 缩短。Gōngsī juédìng bǎ gōngzuò shíjiān suō duǎn dào bā xiǎoshí.The company decided to shorten working hours to eight hours.
- 缩短。Zhè tiáo lù suō duǎn le jiāngjìn yí bàn.This road has been shortened by nearly half.
- 缩短。Qǐng bǎ nǐ de wénzhāng suō duǎn dào wǔ bǎi zì.Please shorten your essay to five hundred words.
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