How to say 'Subtle' or 'Doubtful' in Japanese | 微妙

Wondering how to say 'Subtle' or 'Doubtful' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Subtle or Doubtful is 'Bimyou', written as 微妙 in Japanese.'Subtle' or 'Doubtful' in hiragana is びみょう.

word

微妙

Meaning

Subtle, Doubtful

Reading

びみょう

bimyou

Kanji

微Slight, Delicate 妙Exquisite, Marvelous

Explanation

The Japanese adjectival noun '微妙 (びみょう)' can mean 'subtle' or 'doubtful', depending on the context. When used to mean 'subtle', it refers to something that is delicate, nuanced, or not easily noticeable. For example: The difference is subtle「その違いは微妙だ」(そのちがいはびみょうだ). When used to mean 'doubtful', it expresses uncertainty or skepticism about something. For example: I'm doubtful about his plan「彼の計画は微妙だ」(かれのけいかくはびみょうだ). This word is often used in casual conversation to express that something is 'questionable' or 'not quite right' without being overly negative. It can also be used to describe a situation that is hard to judge or evaluate clearly.

Part Of Speech

adjectival noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

3691

Composition

kanji

Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 微妙

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

kanji

微

Meaning

Slight, Delicate

kanji

妙

Meaning

Exquisite, Marvelous

Words Related to 微妙 Through the Kanji 微

These 3 Words contain the Kanji 微 as well.

word

微笑む

Meaning

Smile

word

微か

Meaning

Faint

word

微笑

Meaning

Smile

Words Related to 微妙 Through the Kanji 妙

These 2 Words contain the Kanji 妙 as well.

word

妙

Meaning

Strange

word

奇妙

Meaning

Strange, Curious

Learn the Word 微妙

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What does 'Bimyou' (微妙) mean?

'Bimyou' means 'Subtle' or 'Doubtful' .

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