媲美

• Pinyin: pì měi
• Hanzi breakdown: 媲 = 女 + 比 (woman + compare — to be equal in appearance and worth); 美 = 羊 + 大 (sheep + large — beautiful, outstanding)

Meaning

To rival; to be comparable or equal to in quality or achievement. Used to express that one thing matches or measures up to a prestigious standard.

Often appears in formal written contexts comparing products, achievements, or artworks. 媲美 implies a high standard of comparison, suggesting the subject has reached or matched a distinguished benchmark. Common patterns: 与…媲美, 堪与…媲美, 无可媲美.

Examples

1. 这款国产芯片的性能已可与国际顶尖产品媲美，标志着我国半导体技术取得了历史性突破。 The performance of this domestically made chip is now comparable to top international products, marking a historic breakthrough in our country's semiconductor technology.
2. 他的书法造诣深厚，有专家认为其行草风格足以媲美宋代大家苏轼。 His calligraphy skills run deep, and some experts believe his running-cursive style is good enough to rival the Song-dynasty master Su Shi.
3. 该地区的生态环境经过多年治理，如今山清水秀，景色足以媲美江南水乡。 After years of environmental restoration, the region is now a picture of clear mountains and clean waters, with scenery comparable to the water towns of Jiangnan.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, technology, arts, journalism

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 经过十年研发，这款新型材料在强度和韧性两方面均可媲美国际最先进的同类产品，填补了国内行业的空白。(After ten years of R&D, this new material rivals the world's most advanced comparable products in both strength and toughness, filling a domestic industry gap.)
• 这部纪录片以极具震撼力的画面语言讲述了普通人的故事，其艺术感染力足以媲美任何一部获奖故事片。(This documentary tells the stories of ordinary people with stunning cinematographic language; its artistic power is comparable to any award-winning feature film.)

Don't Say

• 他媲美了她 — 媲美 is not used transitively in this way; say 他的成就堪与她媲美 or 两人的成就不相上下

Origin & History

媲 (to match, to equal in beauty — 女 woman radical + 比 phonetic) + 美 (beautiful, outstanding) — to be comparable in beauty and quality

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal