微
delicate, minuteness, insignificance
Readings
On'yomi
- ビ
Kun'yomi
- かす.か
Nanori
- み
Meaning
微 centers on something so small or faint that it is barely noticeable: delicacy, minuteness, or insignificance.
Most common words using 微
20 of 183- 微妙びみょうN3
subtle; delicate; fine
- 微びN1
minuteness
- 微々びび
slight; insignificant; small
- 微笑むほほえむN3
to smile
- 微生物びせいぶつ
microbe; germ
- 顕微鏡けんびきょうN2
microscope
- 微笑ましいほほえましい
heartwarming; pleasant; charming; amusing
- 微笑びしょうN1
smile
- 微小びしょう
microscopic
- 微粒子びりゅうし
corpuscle; minute particle; particulate
- 微細びさい
minute; fine; detailed; subtle
- 微量びりょうN2
minuscule amount; extremely small quantity
- 微かかすかN2
faint; dim; weak; slight; vague; indistinct; hazy
- 微塵みじんN1
particle; atom; little piece
- 微分びぶん
differentiation
- 軽微けいび
slight; little; insignificant
- 微熱びねつN1
slight fever
- 微弱びじゃく
feeble; faint; weak
- 微動びどう
slight movement; slight tremor; quiver
- 微力びりょく
little power; little influence
Study
Etymology
微 combines 彳 (movement) with a phonetic element that also suggests smallness or concealment. The exact historical development of the right side is uncertain, but the overall meaning of something minute or subtle is well established.
Meaning mnemonic
The left side 彳 suggests a path, and the right side looks like a tiny mountain 山 with a small action 攵. Imagine walking along a path and noticing a mountain so small it's almost invisible—that's how delicate and insignificant 微 is.
Reading mnemonic
For ビ, imagine a bee (ビー) so tiny and delicate that you can barely see it: bee -> ビ, and its minuteness matches the kanji's meaning.