WordGarden.iomi
C1Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈaɪ/
US
- /ˈmi/
Meanings
Noun
the third syllable or note of a solfege scale
Beyond the definition
Mi is a small word with a musical and international feel. In English, people most often meet it in music, where it is the third note in the familiar "do-re-mi" pattern. Outside English, it often has other meanings. In Spanish, mi means "my." In Italian, it can mean "me" or "to me." In Jamaican Patois, mi can mean "I," "me," or "my." Context matters here, because the meaning changes with the setting and the language.
The word "mi" changes its meaning with the language and setting around it. In English, it is mainly known as a musical term. As a solfege syllable, it names the third note in the familiar "do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti" pattern and the third degree of the scale. Singers and music students use it to practice pitch and learn how notes relate to one another.
Beyond music, "mi" appears in several other languages. In Spanish, mi is a possessive word meaning "my," as in mi casa ("my house"). In Italian, mi is a pronoun that can mean "me" or "to me," depending on the sentence. In some English-based creoles and dialects, especially Jamaican Patois, mi is a common first-person form meaning "I," "me," or "my."
So when you come across "mi," the setting tells you what it means. It may be a singer naming a note, a Spanish speaker showing ownership, an Italian speaker referring to themselves, or a speaker of Jamaican Patois using an everyday pronoun. It is a short word, but it carries several clear meanings across music and language.
Examples
- 1
Sol-fa singing
The children sang "do, re, mi" as the piano played.
- Domain
used in sol-fa singing
- 2
Starting note
Start on mi this time, not do.
- 3
Held note
In the chorus, the singer holds the mi for two beats.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- minoun