1.
shortness; brevity
The quality or degree of being short, whether in physical length, duration of time, or extent.
冬の日の短さに驚いた。
I was surprised by the shortness of winter days.
人生の短さを感じる。
I feel the brevity of life.
この映画は短さが魅力で、忙しい人にもおすすめだ。
The appeal of this movie is its brevity, so I recommend it even for busy people.
Formed by adding the suffix 〜さ to the adjective 短い (short), converting it into a noun expressing the degree or quality of shortness. The 〜さ suffix is productive and can be applied to most i-adjectives (e.g., 長さ "length," 高さ "height").
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 人生の短さ: the brevity of life
- 日の短さ: the shortness of days
- 時間の短さ: the shortness of time
- 短さが魅力: brevity is its appeal
GRAMMAR NOTE:
The 〜さ suffix turns i-adjectives into nouns expressing degree or extent. It attaches to the stem (without the final い): 短い → 短さ, 長い → 長さ, 高い → 高さ.