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些微 (xiē wēi) — (noun) a tiny bit, a very small amount

Definition

Literary/formal noun for 'a tiny bit, a trace'. In speech or writing, 一点 or 一些 covers the same idea more naturally.

noun
a tiny bita very small amount

Examples

  • 。
    Zhǐ yào jiā yì xiē wēi de yán jiù gòu le.
    Just add a tiny bit of salt and it's enough.
  • 。
    Nà yì xiē wēi de chā bié hěn nán kàn chū lái.
    That tiny amount of difference is hard to notice.
  • ，。
    Tā cháng le yí xià, zhī gǎn jué dào yì xiē wēi de tián wèi.
    He tasted it and only sensed a subtle hint of sweetness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

些xiēa little
微wēislight

些 and 微 both indicate a small amount or slight degree.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 些 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old form showed 𡵂 (a variant of 美, a person with long hair) and 攵 (a hand with a tool) splitting or combing hairs, hence minute; 微 later added 彳 to emphasize action.

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Appears in
Quantity & Amount

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