低微

dīwēi

adjective #31,184

Meanings

1 meager (wages, income)
2 humble (social status, origins)
3 feeble; faint (voice, sound)

Characters

Examples

他出身低微，但很努力。

Tā chūshēn dīwēi, dàn hěn nǔlì.

He came from a humble background but worked very hard.

工资低微，难以维持生活。

Gōngzī dīwēi, nányǐ wéichí shēnghuó.

The wages are meager and hard to live on.

她说话的声音很低微。

Tā shuōhuà de shēngyīn hěn dīwēi.

Her voice was very faint.

Tips

usage

Three distinct senses unified by the idea of 'low + slight': social status (出身低微 'humble origins'), money (收入低微 'meager income'), volume (声音低微 'faint voice'). Slightly literary/written; everyday speech prefers simpler words like 低 or 小.

Stroke Order

低 dī

微 wēi