Chinese word

身材

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēn cái

Meaning

  • nounfigure

Example

她的身材很好。tā de shēn cái hěn hǎo

She has a good figure.

Illustration for 身材 (figure)

More examples

为了保持身材，她每天跑步。wèi le bǎo chí shēn cái tā měi tiān pǎo bù

To maintain her figure, she runs every day.

Core concept

A person's height, size, muscle, and curves viewed together as one bodily outline.

Common phrases

  • 身材好shēn cái hǎo

    good figure

  • 身材苗条shēn cái miáo tiáo

    slim figure

  • 保持身材bǎo chí shēn cái

    maintain one's figure

  • 身材匀称shēn cái yún chèn

    well-proportioned figure

Similar words

体型tǐ xíng: The general body shape created by height, weight, and the distribution of fat and muscle.
体格tǐ gé: The size, structure, and strength of a body based on its bones and muscles.
身高shēn gāo: A person's height from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet.
体重tǐ zhòng: The number that shows how heavy a person's entire body is.

Definition in Chinese

描述人的体格特征，包括高矮、胖瘦、肌肉与曲线等外观要素，侧重给人的视觉印象。miáo shù rén de tǐ gé tè zhēng bāo kuò gāo ǎi pàng shòu jī ròu yǔ qū xiàn děng wài guān yào sù cè zhòng gěi rén de shì jué yìn xiàng

Word origin

身 (shēn, "body") + 材 (cái, "material; constitution") names the body's physical make-up and its resulting outward build.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may connect a compliment about someone's body with fitness, but 身材很好 (shēncái hěn hǎo, "has a good build") focuses on visible shape rather than health.

Other meanings

  • buildnoun

Word lists with this word