The word 微笑 is formed by combining two characters: 微 (wēi), which conveys the idea of something subtle, slight, or small, and 笑 (xiào), which directly means to laugh or smile. Together, they create a composite concept where 微 modifies 笑, visually and conceptually blending to depict not a broad laugh, but a gentle, faint, and often polite upward curve of the lips, a subtle smile. It is a fusion where the first character softens and refines the action of the second, forming a single, elegant image of a quiet, gracious expression.