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

Japanese	微
Simplified	微
Traditional	微

Alternative forms

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

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

䉠, 黴, 徽, 徵, 鰴, 幑, 覹, 溦

References

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

trad.		微
simp. ^#		微
2nd round simp.		𡵉
alternative forms		㣲𢕧𢼸

Glyph origin

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 (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

"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 1

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wēi, wéi

(Zhuyin): ㄨㄟ, ㄨㄟˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): mei⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): mì

(Meixian, Guangdong): mi²
Northern Min (KCR): mî
Eastern Min (BUC): mì
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bî

(Teochew, Peng'im): mui⁵
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶mi; ⁶vi
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): uei²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wēi
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wei
  - Wade–Giles: wei¹
  - Yale: wēi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: uei
  - Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan; dated variant in Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wéi
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wéi
  - Wade–Giles: wei²
  - Yale: wéi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wei
  - Palladius: вэй (vɛj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: mei⁴
  - Yale: mèih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mei⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: méi⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei̯²¹/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mì
  - Hakka Romanization System: mi^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: mi²
  - Sinological IPA: /mi¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: mi²
  - Sinological IPA: /mi¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mî
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi³³/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: mì
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bî
  - Tâi-lô: bî
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bii
  - IPA (Xiamen): /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bi¹³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /bi²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /bi²³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: mui⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mûi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mui⁵⁵/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶mi; ⁶vi
  - MiniDict: mi^去; vi^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mi; ³vi
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mi²³/, /vi²³/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: uei²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /u̯e̞i̯¹³/

Middle Chinese: mj+j

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

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*məj/

(Zhengzhang): /*mɯl/

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

微

tiny; small; trifling
to decline; to deteriorate
humble; low-ranking
slight; gentle
slightly; gently
^† to not have
- 微管仲，吾其被髮左衽矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  微管仲，吾其被发左衽矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Wēi Guǎn Zhòng, wú qí pīfàzuǒrèn yǐ. [Pinyin]
  Without Guan Zhong, we should now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats buttoning on the left side.
[from 19th c., officially from 1981 (PRC), 1985 (ROC)] micro- (SI unit prefix)
(～母) (Chinese linguistics) the Middle Chinese initial of 微 (MC mj+j)
(～日) (telegraphy) the fifth day of a month

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (微):

→ Japanese: 微(み) (mi); 微(び) (bi)
→ Korean: 미(微) (mi)
→ Vietnamese: vi (微)

Pronunciation 2

Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): bui

Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bui
  - Tâi-lô: bui
  - Phofsit Daibuun: buy
  - IPA (Xiamen): /bui⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /bui³³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bui⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Taipei): /bui⁴⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /bui⁴⁴/

Definitions

微 (Southern Min)

(mouth, eyes, etc.) to close slightly
- 看著你啊像酒醉茫茫目睭格微微 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
  看着你啊像酒醉茫茫目睭格微微 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]
  From: ~1986, 免失志, sung by 陳小雲 (Chen Hsiao-yun), lyrics by 王秀英, composed by 陳宏
  khòaⁿ tio̍h lí--ah chhiūⁿ chiú-chùi bâng-bâng ba̍k-chiu keh bui bui [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
  You look like you're drunk with [your] hazy eyes in a squinting pattern
a little

Compounds

峇微
微目
沙微 (sa-bui) (Min Nan)

Japanese

Kanji

微

(Jōyō kanji)

delicate

Readings

Go-on: み (mi)
Kan-on: び (bi, Jōyō)
Kun: かすか (kasuka, 微か)、ちいさい (chīsai, 微さい)、わずか (wazuka)

Etymology 1

Affix

微(び) • (bi)

tiny; small; minute

Etymology 2

Affix

微(み) • (mi)

tiny; small; minute

Korean

Hanja

微 (eumhun 작을 미 (jageul mi))

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

微 (eumhun 자질구레할 미 (jajilgurehal mi))

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

Vietnamese

Han character

微: Hán Nôm readings: vi

chữ Hán form of vi (“micro-”).

Zhuang

Noun

微

Sawndip form of feiz (“fire”)

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.
10^-4	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-.