短信

The Chinese word 短信 (duǎnxìn) for "text message" is a compound of two characters: 短 (duǎn), meaning "short," and 信 (xìn), meaning "message" or "letter." The term 短信 was coined in the early 1990s, when text messaging first became popular in China. It is a shortened form of the earlier term 短消息 (duǎnxiāoxī), which literally means "short message."The character 短 (duǎn) is composed of two parts: the radical 欠 (qiàn), which means "to owe" or "to lack," and the phonetic component 단 (dān), which has the sound "duǎn." The character 信 (xìn) is composed of two parts: the radical 言 (yán), which means "to speak" or "to say," and the phonetic component 囟 (xìn), which has the sound "xìn."The combination of the characters 短 (duǎn) and 信 (xìn) creates the word 短信 (duǎnxìn), which literally means "short message." This term is used to refer to text messages sent over mobile phones and other electronic devices. It is a concise and convenient way to communicate short messages, and it has become an essential part of modern communication in China.