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微妙

wēimiào

subtle; delicate

Two hands reaching toward each other across a small gap
Memory picture

Characters in this word

微 wēi

Strokes
13
Radical
彳 — to step with the left foot
Made of
彳 to step with the left foot 攵 to rap, to tap
More about the character 微

妙 miào

Strokes
7
Radical
女 — woman, girl
Made of
女 woman, girl 少 few, little
How it's built
Phono-semantic — one part hints at the meaning, another at the sound

Example phrases

  • 两国关系出现微妙变化,任何措辞不当都可能引发误解。 Liǎng guó guānxì chūxiàn wēimiào biànhuà, rènhé cuòcí bùdàng dōu kěnéng yǐnfā wùjiě. Subtle changes have appeared in relations between the two countries, and any inappropriate wording could cause misunderstanding.
  • 这道菜的味道很微妙,甜中带一点辣。 Zhè dào cài de wèidào hěn wēimiào, tián zhōng dài yīdiǎn là. The flavor of this dish is subtle: sweet with a slight hint of spiciness.
  • 他的态度很微妙,既不答应,也不拒绝。 Tā de tàidù hěn wēimiào, jì bù dāying, yě bù jùjué. His attitude is very subtle: he neither agrees nor refuses.

Related words

All HSK 9 words →