微型

wēixíng

adjective HSK 7-9 #10,103

Meanings

1 miniature; micro-; small-scale

Characters

tiny; micro; slight

type; model; form

Literally 'micro-type.' Used as a modifier before nouns to indicate a miniature version of something.

Examples

这是一辆微型电动车。

Zhè shì yí liàng wēixíng diàndòngchē.

This is a micro electric car.

科学家发明了一种微型机器人。

Kēxuéjiā fāmíng le yì zhǒng wēixíng jīqìrén.

Scientists invented a miniature robot.

Tips

usage

微 is the Chinese prefix for 'micro' in modern tech terms: 微信 (WeChat, literally 'micro-message'), 微博 (Weibo, 'micro-blog'), 微软 (Microsoft, 'micro-soft'). Knowing 微 = micro unlocks many brand names.

In Pop Culture

微信 Wēixìn

WeChat

China's dominant messaging app — literally 'micro-message'

微软 Wēiruǎn

Microsoft

tech company — Chinese name literally means 'micro-soft'

Stroke Order

微 wēi

型 xíng