美术

• Pinyin: měi shù
• Hanzi breakdown: 美 = 羊 (sheep) + 大 (big), meaning beautiful; 术 = originally 朮, a plant, later extended to mean skill or method

Meaning

Fine arts; art. Refers to visual arts including painting, sculpture, and design.

The standard term for visual and fine arts in Chinese. Covers painting, drawing, sculpture, design, and related disciplines. Very common in education: 美术课 (art class), 美术老师 (art teacher), 美术馆 (art gallery/museum). Broader than just painting but narrower than 艺术 (art in general, which includes music, dance, etc.).

Examples

1. 我小时候最喜欢上美术课。 Art class was my favourite when I was little.
2. 她在大学学的是美术专业。 She studied fine arts at university.
3. 这个城市有一座很大的美术馆。 This city has a very large art gallery.

Usage Guide

Context: education, arts, culture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他的美术作品得了奖。(His artwork won an award.)
• 美术馆里有很多名画。(There are many famous paintings in the art gallery.)

Don't Say

• 我喜欢听美术。(Don't use 美术 for music — 美术 is specifically for visual arts. For music, say 我喜欢听音乐.)

Origin & History

美 means beautiful; 术 means skill or technique. Together: the skill of creating beauty — the fine arts.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal