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 • (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, ゆゅ, よょ, ら, り, る, れ, ろ, わゎ, ゐ, ゑ, を, 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 (mi), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as み, 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] fruit (a product of fertilization in a plant) [noun] seed [noun] ingredients of soup (meat or vegetables) [noun] (figurative) contents; substance; essence [noun] (figurative) good result (Can we verify(+) this sense?) Alternative spelling 子

【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] 美, 深: (honorific, archaic) added to placenames to emphasize beauty Alternative spellings 美, 深

【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 [verb] stem or continuative form of 見る (miru)

【箕】J [noun] a winnow; a winnowing basket

【巳】J [proper noun] the Snake, the sixth of the twelve Earthly Branches (by extension): [proper noun] a year corresponding to the year of the Snake [proper noun] south-southeast: a direction pointed thirty degrees from south to east [proper noun] 10 am [proper noun] April

(This term, み (mi), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as み, see Category:Japanese kanji read as み.)

(The following entries do not have a page created for them yet: 深, 霊.)

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, also seen in adjective verbalizations such as 悲しむ, 楽しむ, or 痛む.

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 subjective "quality" of being, as opposed to suffix さ (sa), also translated as -ness, used for objective "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. Compare くれ, imperative of くれる.

Verb

み • (mi) 

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