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式微 (しきび) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
extreme decline ; decay
formal or literary
Formal or literary term describing a severe deterioration or downfall, often of institutions, cultures, or states. Can be used as a noun or with する as an intransitive verb.
伝でん
統とう
文ぶん
化か
が
式しき
微び
し
て
いる
現げん
状じょう
を
憂うれ
う
。
I lament the current state of traditional culture falling into decay.
Kanji 微 delicate, minuteness, insignificance Similar words 衰すい 退たい 衰退 is a common, neutral term for decline or decay, while 式微 is a formal, literary expression with a stronger connotation of extreme or terminal decline.
没ぼつ 落らく 没落 refers to ruin or downfall, often of a person or family, and is more common than 式微, which is reserved for formal or literary contexts.
Etymology The term 式微 originates from classical Chinese, where it was used to describe the decline of a dynasty or state. The exact derivation in Japanese is uncertain, but it was adopted as a literary Sino-Japanese word.
