Wiktionary

微

See also: 徵, 徴, and 徹
微 U+5FAE, 微
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5FAE
← 徭
[U+5FAD] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 徯 →
[U+5FAF]

Translingual

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Japanese 微
Simplified 微
Traditional 微

Alternative forms

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Note that the middle component is written as 𡵂 (⿳山一几) in simplified Chinese and Korean. In Japanese, the middle component is written as 𡵉 (⿱山兀). In traditional Chinese, the middle component is written (⿳山一儿), as found in the Kangxi dictionary.

Han character

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微 (Kangxi radical 60, 彳+10, 13 strokes, Cangjie input 竹人山弓大 (HOUNK) or 竹人山山大 (HOUUK), four-corner 28240, composition ⿰彳𢼸(GK) or ⿰彳𣁋(TJV))

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 370, character 12
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10203
  • Dae Jaweon: page 696, character 15
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 837, character 10
  • Unihan data for U+5FAE

Chinese

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trad. 微
simp. # 微
2nd round simp. 𡵉
alternative forms 㣲
𢕧
𢼸

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 微
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script
 
Characters in the same phonetic series (微) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
矀 *mrɯl, *mɯl
覹 *mrɯl
黴 *mrɯl, *mɯːls
薇 *mrɯl, *mɯl
媺 *mrɯlʔ
微 *mɯl
溦 *mɯl
癓 *mɯl
徽 *hmɯl
幑 *hmɯl

In oracle bone script, it may be written as 𡵂 or 𢼸.

The former is a variant of 美 (OC *mriʔ), borrowed for sound, pictogram (象形) of a person with long hair.

The latter an ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意) and phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mɯl): phonetic 𡵂 (OC *mriʔ) + semantic 攵 (“hand with tool”) – splitting or combing hairs; minute. Possibly the original form of 媺 (OC *mrɯlʔ).

彳 (OC *tʰeɡ) was added to emphasize action to create the modern form.

Etymology 1

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"not; no"
The negative root *m + 惟 (OC *ɢʷi, “to be”) (Pulleybank, 1995).
"small"
    From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *mwəj (“fine; delicate”) (STEDT). Cognate with Burmese မွေ့ (mwe., “delicate”).

    Pronunciation

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    Rime
    Character 微
    Reading # 1/1
    Initial (聲) 明 (4)
    Final (韻) 微 (21)
    Tone (調) Level (Ø)
    Openness (開合) Closed
    Division (等) III
    Fanqie 無非切
    Baxter mj+j
    Reconstructions
    Zhengzhang
    Shangfang         		/mʉi/
    Pan
    Wuyun         		/mʷɨi/
    Shao
    Rongfen         		/miuəi/
    Edwin
    Pulleyblank         		/muj/
    Li
    Rong         		/miuəi/
    Wang
    Li         		/mĭwəi/
    Bernhard
    Karlgren         		/mwe̯i/
    Expected
    Mandarin
    Reflex         		wéi
    Expected
    Cantonese
    Reflex         		mei4
    Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
    Character 微
    Reading # 1/1
    Modern
    Beijing
    (Pinyin)         		wēi
    Middle
    Chinese         		‹ mjɨj ›
    Old
    Chinese         		/*məj/
    English small

    Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

    * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
    * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
    * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
    * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

    * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
    Zhengzhang system (2003)
    Character 微
    Reading # 1/1
    No. 12801
    Phonetic
    component         		微
    Rime
    group         		微
    Rime
    subdivision         		1
    Corresponding
    MC rime         		微
    Old
    Chinese         		/*mɯl/

    Definitions

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    微

    1. tiny; small; trifling
    2. to decline; to deteriorate
    3. humble; low-ranking
    4. slight; gentle
    5. slightly; gently
    6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to not have
    7. [from 19th c., officially from 1981 (PRC), 1985 (ROC)] micro- (SI unit prefix)
    8. (～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 微 (MC mj+j)
    9. (～日) (telegraphy) the fifth day of a month

    Compounds

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    See also

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    SI prefix
    Last Next
    毫 (háo) 微 奈/納 / 奈/纳
    Chinese historical small numbers
    Value Character Notes
    10-1 分 (fèn) Still in use. SI prefix deci-.
    10-2 厘 (lí), 釐 (lí) Still in use. SI prefix centi-.
    10-3 毫 (háo) Still in use. SI prefix milli-. Also 毛 (máo).
    10-4 絲 / 丝 (sī) Rarely used today.
    秒 (miǎo) Obsolete, only in ancient texts.
    10-5 忽 (hū) Rarely used today.
    10-6 微 (wēi) Still in use. SI prefix micro-.
    10-7 纖 / 纤 (xiān) Obsolete.
    10-8 沙 (shā) Obsolete.
    10-9 塵 / 尘 (chén) Obsolete. 納 / 纳 (nà) and 奈 (nài) are used for nano-.
    10-10 埃 (āi) Obsolete. In modern use, the character for angstrom (10-10 m).
    10-11 渺 (miǎo) Obsolete.
    10-12 漠 (mò) Obsolete. 皮 (pí) is used for SI prefix pico-.

    Descendants

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    Sino-Xenic (微):
    • → Japanese: 微(み) (mi); 微(び) (bi)
    • → Korean: 미(微) (mi)
    • → Vietnamese: vi (微)

    Etymology 2

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    Pronunciation

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    Definitions

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    微 (Southern Min)

    1. (mouth, eyes, etc.) to close slightly
    2. a little

    Compounds

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    Etymology 3

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    Pronunciation

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    Definitions

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    微

    1. (Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) quietly (go somewhere)
    2. (Zhangzhou Hokkien) to hide quietly
    3. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to snatch stealthily; to secretly steal
    4. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to tear off; to cut off (a piece of something)
    5. (Taiwanese Hokkien) to peek; to steal a glance

    Japanese

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    Kanji

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    微

    (Jōyō kanji)

    1. delicate

    Readings

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    Etymology 1

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    Kanji in this term
    微
    び
    Grade: S
    kan'on

    From Middle Chinese 微 (MC mj+j).

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    微(び) • (bi) -na (adnominal 微(び)な (bi na), adverbial 微(び)に (bi ni))

    1. tiny
    Inflection
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    Inflection of 微
    Stem forms
    Imperfective (未然形) 微だろ びだろ bi daro
    Continuative (連用形) 微で びで bi de
    Terminal (終止形) 微だ びだ bi da
    Attributive (連体形) 微な びな bi na
    Hypothetical (仮定形) 微なら びなら bi nara
    Imperative (命令形) 微であれ びであれ bi de are
    Key constructions
    Informal negative 微ではない
    微じゃない         		びではない
    びじゃない         		bi de wa nai
    bi ja nai
    Informal past 微だった びだった bi datta
    Informal negative past 微ではなかった
    微じゃなかった         		びではなかった
    びじゃなかった         		bi de wa nakatta
    bi ja nakatta
    Formal 微です びです bi desu
    Formal negative 微ではありません
    微じゃありません         		びではありません
    びじゃありません         		bi de wa arimasen
    bi ja arimasen
    Formal past 微でした びでした bi deshita
    Formal negative past 微ではありませんでした
    微じゃありませんでした         		びではありませんでした
    びじゃありませんでした         		bi de wa arimasen deshita
    bi ja arimasen deshita
    Conjunctive 微で びで bi de
    Conditional 微なら（ば） びなら（ば） bi nara (ba)
    Provisional 微だったら びだったら bi dattara
    Volitional 微だろう びだろう bi darō
    Adverbial 微に びに bi ni
    Degree 微さ びさ bisa
    Classical conjugation of "微なり" (ナリ活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
    Stem forms
    Irrealis (未然形) 微なら びなら binara
    Continuative (連用形) 微に[1]
    微なり[2]    		 びに
    びなり    		 bini
    binari
    Terminal (終止形) 微なり びなり binari
    Attributive (連体形) 微なる びなる binaru
    Realis (已然形) 微なれ びなれ binare
    Imperative (命令形) 微なれ びなれ binare
    Key constructions
    Negative 微ならず びならず binarazu
    Contrasting conjunction 微なれど びなれど binaredo
    Causal conjunction 微なれば びなれば binareba
    Conditional conjunction 微ならば びならば binaraba
    Past tense (firsthand knowledge) 微なりき びなりき binariki
    Past tense (secondhand knowledge) 微なりけり びなりけり binarikeri
    Adverbial 微に びに bini

    [1]Without auxiliary verb.
    [2]With auxiliary verb.

    Noun

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    微(び) • (bi) 

    1. tininess, smallness
    2. detail

    Affix

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    微(び) • (bi) 

    1. tiny, small, minute

    Etymology 2

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    Kanji in this term
    微
    み
    Grade: S
    goon

    From Middle Chinese 微 (MC mj+j).

    Pronunciation

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    Affix

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    微(み) • (mi) 

    1. tiny, small, minute

    Korean

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    Hanja

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    微 (eumhun 작을 미 (jageul mi))

    1. hanja form? of 미 (“small, few, little, hidden”)

    微 (eumhun 자질구레할 미 (jajilgurehal mi))

    1. hanja form? of 미 (“minor, trivial, trifling”)

    Vietnamese

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    Han character

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    微: Hán Nôm readings: vi

    1. chữ Hán form of vi (“micro-”)

    Zhuang

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    Noun

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    微

    1. Sawndip form of feiz (“fire”)
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