咪 (mī) - Onomatopoeia for the sound a cat makes & also used to represent the English word 'meter'

咪Tone 1

mī ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 口

伦妙

咪 · mī

Onomatopoeia for the sound a cat makes;

also used to represent the English word 'meter' in transliterations.

Onomatopoeia for the sound a cat makesalso used to represent the English word 'meter'

Usage highlights

CatMeow soundMicrophoneMicrometerSmall and cuteSmile

Synonyms

  • 喵— meow (alternative onomatopoeia for cat sound)
  • 猫— cat (the animal itself)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The cat went 'meow' (猫咪叫).
  • A small cat (小猫咪).
  • Microphone (麦克风, also 咪).
  • Micrometer (微米).

Collocations

  • Cat(猫咪)
  • Meow sound(咪咪叫)
  • Microphone(麦克风/咪)
  • Micrometer(微米)
  • Small and cute(咪咪小)
  • Smile(笑眯眯)

Idioms

  • Smiling happily(笑眯眯)
  • Tiny little bit(一咪咪)
  • Cat's meow(喵咪叫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used as onomatopoeia for cat sounds in Chinese, similar to 'meow' in English.
  • In Cantonese and southern dialects, often used as a term of endearment for small cats.
  • Modern usage includes transliteration of 'micro-' from English (as in 咪表 for parking meter).

FAQ