Chinese word

美

Pronunciation

Pinyinměi

Meaning

  • adjectivebeautiful

Example

这朵花很美。zhè duǒ huā hěn měi

This flower is beautiful.

Illustration for 美 (beautiful)

More examples

经过修剪，这个花园看起来很美。jīng guò xiū jiǎn zhè ge huā yuán kàn qǐ lái hěn měi

After pruning, this garden looks beautiful.

Core concept

A pleasing quality that draws attention through appearance, character, or balanced form.

Common phrases

  • 看起来很美kàn qǐ lái hěn měi

    look very beautiful

  • 美丽的女孩měi lì de nǚ hái

    beautiful girl

  • 越来越美yuè lái yuè měi

    increasingly beautiful

Similar words

漂亮piào liàng: Pretty and attractive in appearance or color, with a pleasing look.
好看hǎo kàn: Good-looking and pleasant to view because of an appealing shape or appearance.
美丽měi lì: Elegant and beautiful in appearance, often describing a person, scene, or view.
可爱kě ài: Adorably cute because of a small, charming appearance or endearing behavior.

Definition in Chinese

具有吸引力或使人感到愉悦的特质，可指外貌、气质或事物的和谐美。jù yǒu xī yǐn lì huò shǐ rén gǎn dào yú yuè de tè zhì kě zhǐ wài mào qì zhì huò shì wù de hé xié měi

Word origin

Historically, 美 (měi, "beautiful") has carried the broader sense of something good or pleasing, which develops naturally into its modern uses for attractive people, manner, and harmonious things.

Usage tips

  • In conversational Chinese, 美 (měi, "beautiful") can stand as a predicate after a subject or degree word, whereas English normally needs a linking verb before its adjective.

Other meanings

  • beautynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word