微 means “slight, faint, minute”

び · bi

Also: delicate, minuteness, insignificance

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): かすか
On'yomi (Chinese reading): ビ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 13 strokes

The story

Picture someone stepping (彳) quietly past a mountain (山) with a stick (攵), so small you barely see them. 微 is tiny or faint: 顕微鏡 is a microscope, 微笑む is to smile softly, and 微妙, subtle, is also the polite Japanese way to say meh.

Used in 微妙 (bimyou, subtle/iffy), 微笑む (hohoemu, to smile), and 顕微鏡 (kenbikyou, microscope)

微 means “slight, faint, minute”

The story

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