绵薄 (mián bó) — (polite) my humble effort, my meager contribution

Definition

A humble, self-deprecating word for one's small effort or contribution — used only to refer to yourself, never to others, and only in polite, written contexts.

noun
(polite) my humble effortmy meager contribution

Examples

  • 绵薄。
    Wǒ zhǐ shì jìn le yì diǎn mián bó zhī lì.
    I only contributed a little of my humble effort.
  • 绵薄。
    Xī wàng wǒ de mián bó zhī xiàn néng bāng dào nǐ.
    I hope my modest offering can help you.
  • 绵薄。
    Zhè shì tā de yì diǎn mián bó xīn yì.
    This is a small token of his humble gratitude.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

绵miánsoft
薄báothin

绵 and 薄 both suggest slightness, so together they express a humble, meager effort.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 绵 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
溥
溥pǔ薄báo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

Open 薄 →

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