Japanese word

美

Pronunciation

Romajibi

Meaning

  • nounbeauty

Example

自然の美を楽しみます。shi zen no bi o tano shi mi ma su

I enjoy the beauty of nature.

Illustration for 美 (beauty)

More examples

彼は古い建物の美を写真に残します。kare wa furu i tate mono no bi o sha shin ni noko shi ma su

He captures the beauty of the old building in photographs.

Core concept

Describes the quality that makes a person, object, or scene pleasing and worth appreciating.

Common phrases

  • 美を感じるbi o kan ji ru

    sense beauty

  • 美を求めるbi o moto me ru

    seek beauty

  • 美を表現するbi o hyō gen su ru

    express beauty

Similar words

魅力miryoku: An appealing quality that draws interest, admiration, or affection.
美観bikan: The attractive visual appearance of a place, building, or landscape.
美貌bibō: A person's attractive physical appearance, especially the face.

Definition in Japanese

人や物、自然などの姿や性質に備わる、心を引きつけるよさ。hito ya mono shi zen na do no sugata ya sei shitsu ni sona wa ru kokoro o hi ki tsu ke ru yo sa

Word origin

The noun 美 (bi, "beauty") is a Sino-Japanese borrowing of the Chinese character 美, whose core meaning is beauty.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 美 (bi) sounds more abstract and formal than 美しい (utsukushii, "beautiful"), which is more common for directly describing something.

Opposites

  • 醜さminikusauglinessnoun

Related words

  • 美しさutsukushisabeautynoun
  • 美化bikabeautificationnoun

Word lists with this word