Chinese word

美人

Pronunciation

Pinyinměi rén

Meaning

  • nounbeautiful woman

Example

照片上有个美人。zhào piān shàng yǒu gè měi rén

There is a beautiful woman in the photo.

Illustration for 美人 (beautiful woman)

More examples

邻居家出了名的美人结婚了。lín jū jiā chū le míng de měi rén jié hūn le

The famous beauty from the neighbor's household got married.

Core concept

A woman remembered as beautiful because her looks or personal bearing leave a strong impression.

Common phrases

  • 一位美人yí wèi měi rén

    a beautiful woman

  • 绝世美人jué shì měi rén

    a peerless beauty

Similar words

美女méi nǚ: A woman who is beautiful in appearance.
美貌měi mào: The beauty of a person's face and appearance.
容貌róng mào: A person's visible facial features, expression, and overall looks.
外表wài biǎo: A person's or thing's outward appearance as seen from the outside.

Definition in Chinese

长相或气质给人美好印象的人，多指女性，在书面或描写性语境中常见。zhǎng xiàng huò qì zhì gěi rén méi hǎo yìn xiàng de rén duō zhǐ nǚ xìng zài shū miàn huò miáo xiě xìng yǔ jìng zhōng cháng jiàn

Word origin

The compound 美人 (měirén, "beautiful person") combines 美 (měi, "beautiful") with 人 (rén, "person"), directly presenting beauty as a quality of a person.

Usage tips

  • This word commonly appears in descriptions, stories, and written comments, while using it as a direct label for someone can sound formal or stylized in casual speech.

Opposites

  • 丑女chóu nǚunattractive womannoun

Related words

  • 美人鱼měi rén yúmermaidnoun
  • 美人计měi rén jìbeauty trapnoun

Word lists with this word