み

み U+307F, み HIRAGANA LETTER MI ← ま [U+307E] Hiragana む → [U+3080]

Japanese

Stroke order

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mʲi]

Etymology 1

Derived in the Heian period from writing the man'yōgana kanji 美 in the cursive sōsho style.

Syllable

み (romaji mi)

1. The hiragana syllable み (mi). Its equivalent in katakana is ミ (mi). It is the thirty-second syllable in the gojūon order; its position is ま行い段 (ma-gyō i-dan, “row ma, section i”).

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こ𛄲ご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, らら゚, りり゚, るる゚, れれ゚, ろろ゚, わゎわ゙, ゐ𛅐ゐ゙, 𛄟, ゑ𛅑ゑ゙, を𛅒を゙, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of み – see the following entries.

【未】4 [prefix] un-; in- (not yet) [proper noun] the Sheep, the eighth of the twelve Earthly Branches 【味】3 [affix] flavor, taste [affix] tasting, savoring [affix] taste, savor [affix] Alternative spelling of 身 (mi): body part [noun] a flavour (UK)/flavor (US), taste [counter] counter for kinds of food, drink, medicine, etc. 【弥】S [affix] Used in transliterations. 【魅】S [affix] charm; fascination 【眉】S [affix] eyebrow 【美】3 [affix] beauty; beautiful [suffix] suffix used by female given names, such as 奈美 (なみ, Nami), 恵美 (えみ, Emi; めぐみ, Megumi), 宏美 (ひろみ, Hiromi) [suffix] (rare) suffix used by male given names 【微】S [affix] tiny; small; minute

(This term, み, is an alternative spelling of the above Sino-Japanese terms. For a list of all kanji read as み, not just those used in Japanese terms, see Category:Japanese kanji read as み.)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of み – see the following entries.

【身】3 [noun] a body; (by extension): [noun] the main part of something [noun] the blade of a sword (as opposed to the handle) [noun] meat, flesh (as opposed to skin and bone) [noun] wood (as opposed to the bark) [noun] oneself [noun] one's position, one's social standing, one's circumstances 【実】3 [noun] seed; fruit; nut [noun] content; ingredients [noun] good result 【三】1 [numeral] three 【御】S [prefix] (honorific, archaic) added to gods and other spiritually important things [prefix] (honorific, archaic) added to nouns to indicate godlike respect [prefix] (honorific, archaic) added to placenames to emphasize beauty 【美】3 [affix] beauty; beautiful [suffix] suffix used by female given names, such as 奈美 (なみ, Nami), 恵美 (えみ, Emi; めぐみ, Megumi), 宏美 (ひろみ, Hiromi) [suffix] (rare) suffix used by male given names 【神】3 [noun] (rare) a god or spirit Alternative spelling 霊 【見】1 [noun] seeing, looking [noun] the look or appearance of something [noun] a view, as of a landscape 【巳】J [proper noun] the Snake, the sixth of the twelve Earthly Branches

(This term, み, is an alternative spelling of the above terms. For a list of all kanji read as み, not just those used in Japanese terms, see Category:Japanese kanji read as み.)

(The following entries are uncreated: 深, 霊, 箕.)

Etymology 4

From Old Japanese. ⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/.

Further derivation unclear. Theories include:

• Might be a suffix all on its own.
• Might be a particle.
• Might be the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of an auxiliary.

If derived from an auxiliary, this may be the suppositional / presumptive auxiliary む (mu). Possibly related to 目 (me, “eye”), 見る (miru, “to see”); compare English look like as used to describe the quality of something.

Suffix

み • (-mi) 

1. 味: (after an i-adjective stem) -ness; used for "quality" of being, as opposed to suffix さ (sa), also translated as -ness, used for "degree" of being

   暖(あたた)かみ、厚(あつ)み、面(おも)白(しろ)み

   atatakami, atsumi, omoshiromi

   warmth, thickness, interest

2. (Internet slang) (after other types of words as well) -ness

   外国(がいこく)みがある

   gaikoku-mi ga aru

   has a foreign country-ish vibe

3. (after an i-adjective stem) place

   高(たか)み、明(あか)るみ、深(ふか)み

   takami, akarumi, fukami

   high place, bright place, deep place

Usage notes

Sense 1 is sometimes confused or conflated with Sino-Japanese 味 (mi, “taste, flavor”), hence the ateji spelling.

See also

• さ (-sa)

Etymology 5

From Old Japanese. ⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/.

Considered to be from the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of 見る (miru, “to try, to attempt”).

Suffix

み • (-mi) 

1. (after verbs with opposite meanings in the ren'yōkei continuative or -zu negative continuative) indicates alternation of action or state, equivalent to the modern expression …たり…たり (…tari …tari)

   降(ふ)りみ降(ふ)らずみ

   furimi furazumi

   sometimes raining and sometimes not raining → raining on and off

   照(て)りみ曇(くも)りみ

   terimi kumorimi

   sometimes shiny and sometimes cloudy

Etymology 6

Old Japanese. ⟨mi₁⟩ → /mi/. Only used in waka since Early Middle Japanese.

Suffix

み • (-mi) 

1. (obsolete, after an i-adjective stem) as, because; forming an adverbial clause: being

   山(やま)を高(たか)み

   yama o takami

   as/because the mountain is high; the mountain being high

2. (obsolete, after an i-adjective stem) Expresses thinking or feeling, followed by verbs like 思ふ and す.

Etymology 7

From みろ.

Verb

み • (mi) 

1. (colloquial) imperative of みる (“try”)