📖 Meaning
Something so small or trivial that it is not worth mentioning. It describes matters of negligible importance or influence, emphasizing how insignificant they are in a given context.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom draws from classical Chinese textual tradition rather than a single named anecdote. The character 微 means tiny or slight, and 不足道 means not worth speaking of. This phrasing appears in various forms across Ming and Qing dynasty literature to describe things beneath notice. It was solidified as a standard four-character idiom through widespread literary use during the Qing period.
💡 Example Usage
这点小挫折与他所经历的苦难相比，简直是微不足道。
Compared to the hardships he has endured, this small setback is utterly insignificant.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 微不足道
- Pinyin: wēi bù zú dào
- Literal Translation: tiny, not, sufficient, to speak of
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4