美
měi
Character beautiful
美 (měi) is a fundamental Chinese character meaning "beautiful" or "pretty." It's a versatile adjective that can describe people, objects, scenery, and abstract concepts. It also carries connotations of "good" or "fine."
What does 美 (měi) mean?
美 (měi) means “character beautiful” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “beautiful / pretty / good.”
When to use it
Neutral. It can be used alone or as part of compound words to express various shades of beauty. For a more descriptive "beautiful," you often hear 美丽 (měilì). For "wonderful" or "fine," you might use 美好 (měihǎo).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like "MAY" with a dipping, then rising tone (third tone). Imagine saying "may?" as if asking a question, but with a slight dip in the middle.
Other ways to say it
- 美丽měilìbeautiful (often for people, scenery, concrete things)
- 美好měihǎobeautiful / wonderful (often for abstract things like life, future, memories)
- 美观měiguānaesthetically pleasing / good-looking (often for design, appearance of objects)
Examples
这个汉字很美。
zhège hànzì hěn měi.
This Chinese character is very beautiful.
她长得很美。
tā zhǎngde hěn měi.
She grew up to be very beautiful.
祝你有个美好的未来。
zhù nǐ yǒu gè měihǎo de wèilái.
Wish you a beautiful/wonderful future.
Pro tip: While 美 itself means "beautiful," it often combines with other characters to form more specific or nuanced expressions of beauty, such as 美丽 (měilì) for visual beauty or 美好 (měihǎo) for a beautiful experience or future.
Related phrases
美丽 · Beautiful漂亮 · Pretty太漂亮了 · So beautiful
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