漂亮

• Pinyin: piào liang
• Hanzi breakdown: 漂 (piào) = 氵(water radical) + 票 (phonetic); 亮 (liàng) — bright, shining

Meaning

Beautiful; pretty; good-looking. Used to describe people, things, or actions that are attractive or well-done.

The most common everyday word for 'pretty' or 'beautiful.' Can describe people, clothing, scenery, handwriting, and even actions (干得漂亮 = well done). Less formal than 美丽 and used much more frequently in daily conversation.

Examples

1. 她今天穿的裙子很漂亮。 The dress she is wearing today is very pretty.
2. 这里的风景真漂亮。 The scenery here is really beautiful.
3. 你写的字很漂亮。 Your handwriting is very beautiful.

Usage Guide

Context: compliments, daily life, describing appearance

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 你今天真漂亮！(You look really pretty today!)
• 这幅画画得很漂亮。(This painting is done beautifully.)

Don't Say

• 一般不用漂亮来形容男性外貌 (Don't usually use 漂亮 for a man's appearance — use 帅 instead; 漂亮 for men sounds feminine)

Origin & History

漂 (piào, elegant/floating) + 亮 (liàng, bright/shining). The combination suggests something that is bright and eye-catching, hence beautiful.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal