健美

• Pinyin: jiàn měi
• Hanzi breakdown: 健 = 亻+ 建 (person + build — to be strong/healthy); 美 = 羊 + 大 (sheep + big — beauty/beautiful)

Meaning

Bodybuilding; fitness and beauty; to have a well-proportioned and muscular physique. As an adjective, describes a healthy, athletic, and aesthetically pleasing body.

Refers both to the sport of bodybuilding (健美比赛 — bodybuilding competition) and to the aesthetic ideal of a fit, well-toned body. Also used in contexts like 健美操 (aerobics) and 健美运动 (fitness training). Combines notions of health and beauty.

Examples

1. 她每天坚持做健美操，多年来一直保持着匀称的身材和充沛的精力。 She sticks to aerobics every day and has maintained a well-proportioned figure and abundant energy for years.
2. 这位运动员经过多年刻苦训练，练就了一身健美的肌肉线条，令人赞叹。 After years of intense training, the athlete developed an impressively sculpted physique.
3. 健美运动不仅能塑造体形，还能增强心肺功能，提升整体健康水平。 Bodybuilding not only shapes your body; it also strengthens heart and lung function and improves overall health.

Usage Guide

Context: fitness, sports, aesthetics, health

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这套健美训练计划针对不同肌群设计了专项动作，能够帮助学员系统地塑造身材。(This bodybuilding training programme designs specific exercises for different muscle groups, helping trainees systematically shape their physique.)
• 她身材健美，线条流畅，在舞台上展现出了运动员特有的力量与美感。(She has a fit and beautiful physique with smooth lines, displaying the unique strength and aesthetics of an athlete on stage.)

Don't Say

• 他很健美地跑步 — 健美 is not an adverb; use 矫健地 for 'vigorously' or describe the physique separately

Origin & History

健 (healthy/strong) + 美 (beautiful/aesthetic)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal