mei4 siu3微笑
Jyutpingmei4 siu3
Yalemèih siu
Definition
To smile; a light and happy facial expression with the corners of the mouth turned slightly up.
neutralemotionpeople
How it's used
微笑 is a formal or literary term that is rarely used in casual spoken Cantonese. In daily life, people almost always use 笑 or 笑笑口 to describe the act of smiling. Using 微笑 in conversation can sound overly poetic or like you are reading from a book.
Examples
She smiled at me, looking very happy.
Why are you smiling at your phone?
Related words
Common phrases
to show a hint of a smile
a sweet smile
Common mistake
Avoid using 微笑 as a direct verb in casual speech, as it sounds stiff. Use 笑 or the descriptive phrase 笑笑口 instead to sound more natural.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
