Meaning of 微笑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- smile
- to smile
Measure word: 個|个,絲|丝
How to use 微笑
微笑 works as a verb (to smile) and as a noun (a smile). It sounds a bit more descriptive or written than everyday 笑 (xiào). Example: 她对我微笑了一下。(Tā duì wǒ wēixiào le yíxià.) She gave me a smile.
微 (wēi) means tiny or slight, as in 微信 (wēixìn) and 稍微 (shāowēi). 笑 (xiào) means to laugh, so a 微笑 is a small laugh, which is a smile.
Common mistake: Learners often say 微笑 when they mean laughing out loud. For laughing, use 笑 or 大笑 (dàxiào). Also keep the tones straight: wēi is first tone and xiào is fourth, not wéixiào.
微笑 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
微 wēi · small · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
笑 xiào · to laugh · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Related words
Words that share a character with 微笑.
| 开玩笑 | kāi wánxiào | to play a joke; to make fun of; to joke |
| 笑话 | xiàohua | joke; jest; to laugh at; to mock |
| 笑话儿 | xiàohuar | erhua form of 笑話|笑话[xiao4 hua5] |
| 微信 | wēixìn | Weixin or WeChat (instant messaging and social media app developed by Tencent 騰訊|腾讯[Teng2 |
| 稍微 | shāowēi | a little bit |
| 微博 | wēibó | microblogging; microblog |
| 笑容 | xiàoróng | smile; smiling expression |
| 笑声 | xiàoshēng | laughter |
| 笑脸 | xiàoliǎn | smiling face; smiley :) ☺ |
| 微波炉 | wēibōlú | microwave oven |
| 好笑 | hǎoxiào | laughable; funny; ridiculous |
| 可笑 | kěxiào | funny; ridiculous |
Questions about 微笑
What does 微笑 mean?
微笑 (wēixiào) means "smile; to smile" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 微笑?
微笑 is made of 2 characters: 微 (13 strokes), 笑 (10 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 微笑 an HSK word?
Yes. 微笑 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do I say smile at someone with 微笑?
Use 对 (duì) plus the person before the verb: 对他微笑 (duì tā wēixiào), smile at him. Do not put the person directly after 微笑.
Is 微笑 the same as 笑 in daily speech?
In casual talk people usually just say 笑 for both smiling and laughing. 微笑 specifically stresses a gentle, quiet smile and shows up often in writing, descriptions, and phrases like 保持微笑 (bǎochí wēixiào), keep smiling.