寒微 (hán wēi) — Chinese Word

adjective HSK 6

hán wēi

of humble origin · poor and lowly · from a poor family

Meaning

寒微 is a literary term describing someone's humble social and economic background, particularly referring to being born into poverty or a family of low social status. It emphasizes both material poverty (寒) and insignificant social standing (微), and is primarily used in formal or written contexts when discussing someone's origins.

Usage

This is a formal, literary expression rarely used in everyday conversation. It typically appears in biographical writing, historical texts, or formal discussions about someone's background. Modern speakers might use 家境贫寒 or 出身贫寒 in more natural speech. The term carries a somewhat sympathetic tone rather than being purely derogatory.

Examples

01
他虽然出身寒微，但通过努力成为了著名的学者。
Tā suī rán chū shēn hán wēi, dàn tōng guò nǔ lì chéng wéi le zhù míng de xué zhě.
Although he came from a humble background, through hard work he became a renowned scholar.
02
这位将军家世寒微，全凭自己的才能获得今天的地位。
Zhè wèi jiāng jūn jiā shì hán wēi, quán píng zì jǐ de cái néng huò dé jīn tiān de dì wèi.
This general came from a poor family and achieved his current position entirely through his own abilities.

Characters

Common collocations

出身寒微
chū shēn hán wēi
to be born into a humble family
家世寒微
jiā shì hán wēi
family background is humble
身世寒微
shēn shì hán wēi
one's origins are humble

Antonyms

Origin

The combination dates back to classical Chinese literature. 寒 (cold) metaphorically represents poverty and hardship, while 微 (tiny/insignificant) represents low social status. Together they form a classical binome describing humble origins.