弥

彌/瀰

mí

尔 + 弓

Definitions

mí (adjective,adverb) full; completely

mí (verb) to fill; overflow

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 尔 represents the sound. Simplified form of 彌.

Semantic: 弓 Phonetic: 尔

About

弥 is the simplified form of 彌, a phono-semantic compound that pairs the semantic bow radical 弓 with the phonetic 爾 (ěr), now written 尔. Its earliest meaning, relaxing a bowstring or letting a bow hang loose, was largely eclipsed by extended and borrowed senses. The character came to convey fullness, pervading an expanse, filling a space like water, the extensive passage of time, and making up for a deficiency or loss.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Bronze Mid Spring and Autumn (~600 BC)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

空气中弥漫着花香。

Kōngqì zhōng mímàn zhe huā xiāng.

The air is filled with the fragrance of flowers.

他努力弥补自己的错误。

Tā nǔlì míbǔ zìjǐ de cuòwù.

He strives to make up for his mistakes.

弥撒是重要的宗教仪式。

Mísa shì zhòngyào de zōngjiào yíshì.

Mass is an important religious ceremony.

我们需要弥合双方的分歧。

Wǒmen xūyào míhé shuāngfāng de fēnqí.

We need to bridge the differences between both sides.

清晨的迷雾笼罩着湖面。

Qīngchén de míwù lǒngzhào zhe húmiàn.

The morning mist envelops the lake surface.

这场争论持续了弥月之久。

Zhè chǎng zhēnglùn chíxù le mí yuè zhī jiǔ.

This debate lasted for a full month.

在弥留之际，他见到了家人。

Zài míliú zhī jì, tā jiàn dào le jiārén.

On his deathbed, he saw his family.

这种气体的弥散速度很快。

Zhè zhǒng qìtǐ de mísàn sùdù hěn kuài.

This gas disperses very quickly.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 尔

Component: 弓

弥