微び震しん

び

し

ん

Meanings

1

slight earthquake; minor tremor

Refers to a weak earthquake, often one that is barely perceptible. Used in seismology and news reports.

昨さく夜や、震しん度ど1の微び震しんが観かん測そくされた。
A slight earthquake of intensity 1 was observed last night.
この地ち域いきでは微び震しんが頻ひん繁ぱんに発はっ生せいしている。
Minor tremors occur frequently in this area.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

微び震しんが起おこるfor a minor tremor to occur
昨さく夜や、この地ち域いきで微び震しんが起おこった。
A minor tremor occurred in this area last night.
微び震しんを観かん測そくするto detect/observe a minor tremor
気き象しょう庁ちょうはけさ東とう京きょうで微び震しんを観かん測そくした。
The Meteorological Agency detected a minor tremor in Tokyo this morning.
〈場ば所しょ〉で微び震しんが続つづくfor minor tremors to continue in a place
その地ち域いきでは微び震しんが数すう日か間かん続つづいている。
Minor tremors have continued in that area for several days.

Kanji

微delicate, minuteness, insignificance
震quake, shake, tremble

Related words

地じ震しんN4
地震 is the general word for any earthquake regardless of strength, while 微震 specifically means a slight, barely-felt tremor.

Opposites

激げき震しん
微震 refers to a slight, barely perceptible tremor, whereas 激震 refers to a violent, severe earthquake.
烈れっ震しん
微震 refers to a barely perceptible tremor, the opposite end of the intensity scale from the violently destructive 烈震.

Don't confuse with

余よ震しん
余震 means an aftershock (defined by timing relative to a main quake), while 微震 refers to the weak intensity of a tremor, not its timing.
軽けい震しん
微震 denotes an even fainter tremor than 軽震, often imperceptible, while 軽震 is a slightly stronger but still weak shake.

Counted with

回かいN4
counter for occurrences; times · time; instance; occasion · inning (baseball); round; game · episode; chapter; installment · Hui (people) · Islam

Etymology

Compound of 微 (bi, 'slight, minute') and 震 (shin, 'tremor, quake').