📖 Meaning
Used to describe something so small or insignificant that it is not worth mentioning. It conveys an attitude of belittlement toward a subject by emphasizing its minuteness in comparison to something larger. Often employed to express modesty or to diminish the importance of a matter.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in modern Chinese literary works, notably cited by the essayist Qin Mu (秦牧) in the preface to one of his collections, where he contrasts the smallness of natural things with the greatness of advanced figures of the socialist revolutionary era. It is also found in Sha Ting's (沙汀) short story 'The Story of Old Yan,' where the protagonist reflects on the insignificance of life amid grand historical currents. The idiom builds on classical components: '渺' meaning tiny or distant, '不足' meaning not sufficient, and '道' meaning to speak of or mention. Together they form a modest, self-deprecating expression.
💡 Example Usage
比起那些为理想献身的先烈，我个人的得失实在渺不足道。
Compared to those martyrs who sacrificed themselves for their ideals, my personal gains and losses are truly too insignificant to mention.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 渺不足道
- Pinyin: miǎo bù zú dào
- Literal Translation: tiny, not, sufficient, to, speak of
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4