每天成语
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微不足道

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: wēi bù zú dào
  • English Translation: Insignificant / Not worth mentioning
  • Idiom Composition: 「微」（Minute; tiny; microscopic.）＋「不」（Not; no.）＋「足」（Sufficient; worth; enough.）＋「道」（To speak; to say; to mention.）
  • Meaning: Describes something so small or trivial that it is not worth mentioning. It refers to things with very little value, significance, or power, and is often used to express modesty about one's own contributions.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「微不足道」 contains the following nuances:

  • Smallness of Scale or Value: It emphasizes that not just physical size, but also influence, contribution, or quantity is negligible compared to the whole.
  • The Evaluation of 'Not Worth Discussing': By negating the term 足道 (zú dào), which means 'worth mentioning,' the idiom indicates that the subject does not merit serious discussion or praise.

3. Usage

「微不足道」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Modesty regarding one's contributions: A standard way to respond when thanked for help or an achievement, politely suggesting it was 'no big deal.'
    • Example:「为大家做这点小事微不足道，您不必挂在心上。」
      （Doing this small favor for everyone is not worth mentioning, so please don't worry about it.)
  • Emphasis through comparison: Used to highlight how small something is when compared to a much larger entity or challenge.
    • Example:「个人的力量在历史的洪流面前是微不足道的。」
      （Individual power is insignificant when faced with the great torrent of history.)
  • Consolation or encouragement: Used to reassure someone by suggesting that a failure, loss, or flaw is too small to worry about.
    • Example:「这点挫折与你未来的成就相比，简直微不足道。」
      （This small setback is negligible compared to your future success.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 虽然这笔捐款微不足道，但希望能帮到一些人。
    （Although this donation is small, I hope it can help some people.）
  2. 他在整个计划中扮演的角色微不足道。
    （The role he played in the entire project was insignificant.）
  3. 比起生命的安全，这点财产损失微不足道。
    （Compared to the safety of life, this loss of property is trivial.）
  4. 这些微不足道的细节往往决定了成败。
    （These insignificant details often determine success or failure.）
  5. 对于浩瀚的宇宙来说，地球也是微不足道的。
    （To the vast universe, even the Earth is a tiny existence.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The Virtue of Modesty: In Chinese culture, it is considered a virtue to be humble and not boast about one's achievements. 微不足道 (wēi bù zú dào) is a common humble expression used to downplay one's own actions to show respect to others.
  • Usage Range: This idiom is widely used in both written and spoken Chinese, ranging from formal speeches to daily conversations.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

微不足道 (wēi bù zú dào) is an idiom used to describe things that are extremely small or insignificant. It can be used to objectively state that something is unimportant, or as a polite way to downplay one's own achievements or help as 'nothing special.' It is a versatile phrase suitable for both casual and formal contexts.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

wēi bù zú dào
微不足道
Insignificant
shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们cháng cháng常常xū yào需要héng liáng衡量yī jiàn一件shì qíng事情de的“fèn liàng分量”。

In life, we often need to weigh the importance of something.

yǒu xiē有些shì事hěn很zhòng重，yā压dé得wǒ men我们chuǎn bù guò qì喘不过气；ér而yǒu xiē有些shì事hěn很xiǎo小，xiǎo小dé得xiàng像chén āi尘埃yī yàng一样，fēng风yī一chuī吹jiù就sàn散le了。

Some things are so heavy that they leave us unable to breathe; others are so small, like dust that scatters with a gust of wind.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种wēi xiǎo微小dào到bù zhí dé不值得tí qǐ提起de的shì事，jiào叫“wēi bù zú dào微不足道”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe things so small that they are not worth mentioning: 微不足道.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很qīng xī清晰。

The structure of this expression is very clear.

“wēi微”，shì是miǎo xiǎo渺小、xì wēi细微；“zú足”，shì是zhí de值得；“dào道”，shì是“shuō说”huò zhě或者“tí qǐ提起”。

微 means tiny or slight; 足 means worth; 道 means “to say” or “to mention.”

lián连qǐ lái起来lǐ jiě理解，tā它de的yì si意思shì是：zhè这jiàn件shì事tài太miǎo xiǎo渺小le了，xiǎo小dào到gēn běn根本bù不zhí dé yì tí值得一提。

Put together, it means: this matter is so small that it is simply not worth mentioning.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常huì会zài在liǎng zhǒng两种jié rán bù tóng截然不同de的shí kè时刻yòng用dào到tā它。

We usually use it in two very different situations.

dì yī第一zhǒng种shí kè时刻，yǔ与“qiān xū谦虚”yǒu guān有关。

The first is related to humility.

dāng当nǐ你bāng帮le了péng yǒu朋友yí gè一个máng忙，duì fāng对方fēi cháng非常gǎn jī感激，bù tíng不停dì地dào xiè道谢shí时，nǐ你kě néng可能huì会shuō说：“zhè这zhǐ shì只是wēi bù zú dào微不足道de的xiǎo shì小事，bié别fàng zài xīn shàng放在心上。”

When you do a friend a favor and they are very grateful, thanking you again and again, you might say: “It was only a 微不足道 little thing. Don’t worry about it.”

zài在zhè lǐ这里，nǐ你bìng并bú shì不是zài在biǎn dī贬低zì jǐ自己de的fù chū付出，ér shì而是zài在gào sù告诉duì fāng对方：zhè这diǎn点fù chū付出，hé和wǒ men我们de的yǒu yì友谊bǐ比qǐ lái起来，gēn běn根本suàn bù liǎo算不了shén me什么。

Here, you are not belittling your own effort. You are telling them that, compared with your friendship, this small effort is nothing at all.

dì èr第二zhǒng种shí kè时刻，zé则guān hū关乎“shì huái释怀”。

The second situation has to do with letting go.

dāng当wǒ men我们yù dào遇到cuò zhé挫折、jué de觉得tiān天dōu都yào要tā xià lái塌下来de的shí hòu时候，rú guǒ如果shì zhe试着bǎ把mù guāng目光lā拉yuǎn远，qù去kàn kàn看看guǎng kuò广阔de的shì jiè世界、cháng cháng长长de的lì shǐ历史，nǐ你huì会tū rán突然fā xiàn发现：yǎn qián眼前de的zhè这diǎn点fán nǎo烦恼，qí shí其实shì是“wēi bù zú dào微不足道”de的。

When we face setbacks and feel as if the sky is about to fall, if we try to broaden our view and look at the vast world and long history, we may suddenly realize that the trouble in front of us is actually 微不足道.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是zài在xíng róng形容“xiǎo小”。

So, this idiom does not merely describe something “small.”

tā它gèng更xiàng像shì是yí gè一个xīn lǐ心理shàng上de的“tiáo jié qì调节器”。

It is more like a psychological “regulator.”

tā它bāng帮wǒ men我们bǎ把nà xiē那些yuán běn原本kàn看dé得tài太zhòng重de的dōng xī东西，qīng qīng轻轻fàng xià放下；yě也bāng帮wǒ men我们bǎ把nà xiē那些zuò做guò过de的gòng xiàn贡献，qiāo qiāo悄悄cáng藏zài在shēn hòu身后。

It helps us gently put down things we once considered too important, and also helps us quietly leave our contributions behind us.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你xiǎng yào想要biǎo dá表达yī zhǒng一种huò dá豁达de的xīn tài心态，huò zhě或者xiǎng yào想要ān wèi安慰zì jǐ自己“zhè jiù这就guò qù过去le了”de的shí hòu时候，bù fáng不妨zài在xīn lǐ心里mò niàn默念zhè ge这个cí词。

Next time you want to express an open-minded attitude, or comfort yourself by thinking, “This will pass,” try silently repeating this expression to yourself.

zhè这yī qiè一切，qí shí其实dōu都shì是wēi bù zú dào微不足道de的。

All of this is, in fact, 微不足道.

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