mikroskopisch
microscopic
So small that it can only be made visible with a microscope.
EXAMPLE
Bakterien sind mikroskopisch kleine Lebewesen.
Bacteria are microscopic living organisms.
mikroskopisch
microscopic
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
mikroskopisch
microscopic
Used figuratively to express that something is extremely small, tiny, or insignificant.
EXAMPLE
Seine Gewinnchance bei der Lotterie war nur mikroskopisch.
His chance of winning the lottery was only microscopic.
Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'mikroskopisch' (microscopic) is derived directly from the noun 'das Mikroskop' (the microscope). The ending '-isch' (-ic/-ical) is often used to form an adjective from a noun.
EXAMPLE
Für die Untersuchung ist eine mikroskopische Analyse notwendig.
A microscopic analysis is necessary for the examination.
Context clue
The literal meaning is used in scientific contexts (e.g., with 'Zellen' (cells), 'Bakterien' (bacteria)). The figurative meaning refers to abstract things (e.g., a 'Chance' (chance), an 'Unterschied' (difference)).
EXAMPLE
Die Zelle ist ein mikroskopischer Baustein des Lebens.
The cell is a microscopic building block of life.
Typical collocation
In the literal meaning, 'mikroskopisch' (microscopic) is very often combined with 'klein' (small) to form 'mikroskopisch klein' (microscopically small), in order to further emphasize the small size.
EXAMPLE
Staub besteht aus vielen mikroskopisch kleinen Partikeln.
Dust consists of many microscopically small particles.
Figurative meaning
In the figurative sense, 'mikroskopisch' (microscopic) is used to express that something is extremely small or insignificant. Typical nouns here are 'Chance' (chance), 'Anteil' (share), or 'Vorteil' (advantage).
EXAMPLE
Sein Anteil am Gewinn war leider nur mikroskopisch.
Unfortunately, his share of the profit was only microscopic.
Compare with
mikroskopisch vs molekular
molecular
Molekular and mikroskopisch can both refer to very small structures. Molekular specifically refers to the level of molecules. Mikroskopisch, on the other hand, describes something so small that it can only be seen with a microscope.
mikroskopisch
Die Forschenden entdecken mikroskopisch kleine Kristalle in dem Stoff.
The researchers discovered microscopic crystals in the substance.
molekular
Die Forschenden untersuchen die molekulare Struktur des Stoffes.
The researchers are studying the molecular structure of the substance.
In real life
Loading video examples...