Chinese word

美丽

Pronunciation

Pinyinměi lì

Meaning

  • adjectivebeautiful

Example

那里的风景很美丽。nà lǐ de fēng jǐng hěn měi lì

The scenery there is very beautiful.

Illustration for 美丽 (beautiful)

More examples

她穿着一条美丽的裙子。tā chuān zhe yì tiáo měi lì de qún zi

She is wearing a beautiful dress.

Core concept

A scene or setting whose appearance and atmosphere come together in a graceful, pleasing way.

Common phrases

  • 美丽的裙子měi lì de qún zi

    beautiful dress

  • 很美丽hěn měi lì

    very beautiful

  • 美丽的花朵měi lì de huā duǒ

    beautiful flowers

Similar words

漂亮piào liàng: Good-looking and attractive in appearance, often used for people in casual speech.
好看hǎo kàn: Looking pleasing and enjoyable to see.

Definition in Chinese

多用于描写风景、事物或场合给人带来愉悦的美感，侧重视觉与气氛的和谐与优雅。duō yòng yú miáo xiě fēng jǐng shì wù huò chǎng hé gěi rén dài lái yú yuè de méi gǎn cè zhòng shì jué yǔ qì fēn de hé xié yǔ yōu yǎ

Word origin

The compound 美丽 (měilì, "beautiful") joins 美 (měi, "beautiful") and 丽 (lì, "graceful"), reinforcing the idea of an attractive, well-formed appearance.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use "beautiful" for people, but this adjective is especially common for scenery, objects, and occasions in everyday Chinese.

Opposites

Word lists with this word