The kanji 微 generally conveys the idea of "small," "slight," "tiny," or "subtle." It suggests something that is almost imperceptible, insignificant in size, or barely noticeable. This can apply to physical things, feelings, or qualities.

・On-yomi (音読み): ビ (bi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): かすか (kasuka) – slight, faint; かす-か (kasu-ka)

⚫︎ 微々たるもの Translation: Negligible; Tiny ⚫︎ 微熱 Translation: Slight fever ⚫︎ 微笑 Translation: A slight smile; to smile gently

The kanji 微 is a phono-semantic compound. It is composed of the semantic component 彳 (chaku, meaning "step") and the phonetic component 几 (ki, or as a component in another character, "mi"). The original meaning may have related to small steps or slight movements, thus extending to smallness and subtlety. The addition of the phonetic component 几 provides a sound element for the character.