美观

• Pinyin: měi guān
• Hanzi breakdown: 美 = 羊 + 大 — beautiful, excellent; 观 = 见 (see) + 隹 (bird) — to observe, appearance, view

Meaning

Aesthetically pleasing; attractive in appearance; visually appealing.

Used to describe objects, designs, spaces, or presentations that are visually attractive and well-proportioned. Common in contexts of architecture, product design, urban planning, packaging, and art. Often paired with 实用 (practical) in the phrase 美观实用 — both attractive and functional.

Examples

1. 这套家具设计简洁美观，与现代简约风格的室内装修搭配起来相得益彰。 This set of furniture has a clean, attractive design, and it pairs perfectly with a modern minimalist interior.
2. 城市规划部门要求新建建筑物外立面必须美观大方，与周边历史风貌相协调。 The city planning department requires the facades of new buildings to be tasteful and visually pleasing, in harmony with the surrounding historic character.
3. 包装设计既要美观，又要兼顾环保，过度包装已被明令限制。 Packaging design needs to look good while also being environmentally friendly; excessive packaging has been explicitly restricted.

Usage Guide

Context: design, architecture, commerce, aesthetics

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这款产品外形美观，手感舒适，一经推出便赢得了广大消费者的青睐。(This product is attractive in appearance and comfortable to hold — it won widespread consumer favour as soon as it launched.)
• 改造后的街道不仅更加美观整洁，还拓宽了人行道，大大改善了居民的出行体验。(The renovated street is not only more visually appealing and tidy, but the pavements have also been widened, greatly improving residents' experience of getting around.)

Don't Say

• 把'美观'用于描述人的外貌 — 描述人的外表美丽应用'好看''漂亮'或'俊秀' (Don't use 美观 to describe a person's physical attractiveness — use 好看, 漂亮, or 俊秀 for describing people's looks)

Origin & History

美 (beautiful, aesthetically pleasing) + 观 (appearance, view). Together meaning beautiful to look at.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal