艳丽

• Pinyin: yàn lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 艳 = 丰 (abundant/lush) + 色 (colour — abundant, saturated colour); 丽 = 一 (one) + 鹿 (deer — two deer together, evoking paired natural beauty)

Meaning

Gorgeous and vivid; brilliantly colourful and beautiful. Describes striking visual splendour — especially of colours, flowers, attire, or natural scenery.

比 美丽 (beautiful) 或 鲜艳 (bright/vivid) 视觉冲击力更强。艳丽 implies a richness of colour that draws the eye — almost overwhelmingly so. Often used for flowers, traditional costumes, sunsets, or makeup. Can occasionally carry a connotation of being overly showy in more conservative contexts.

Examples

1. 舞台上的演员身着色彩艳丽的苗族传统服饰，在灯光的映衬下，那繁复的刺绣和银饰散发出令人目眩的光彩。 Onstage, the performers wore vividly colored traditional Miao clothing. Under the lights, the intricate embroidery and silver ornaments shimmered with a dazzling brilliance.
2. 盛夏时节，公园里各色玫瑰竞相绽放，艳丽的花朵在阳光下如同一幅流动的油画，吸引了大批游客驻足拍照。 In midsummer, roses of every color bloom throughout the park; their vivid blossoms in the sunlight look like a moving oil painting, drawing crowds of visitors to stop and take photos.
3. 她为这场婚礼精心挑选了一套色彩艳丽的旗袍，金红相间的配色既庄重典雅，又不失节日的喜庆氛围。 She carefully chose a brightly colored qipao for the wedding; the gold-and-red palette was dignified and elegant while still full of festive cheer.

Usage Guide

Context: aesthetics, fashion, nature, art, everyday description

Tone: appreciative

Do Say

• 这套侗族盛装色彩艳丽、工艺精湛，每一根绣线都凝聚着绣娘数十年积累下来的技艺和对本民族文化的深厚情感。(This set of Dong ethnic ceremonial costume is brilliantly colourful and exquisitely crafted; every embroidered thread embodies decades of skill accumulated by the embroiderer and a deep emotional connection to her people's culture.)
• 秋天的张家界层林尽染，山间红叶与金黄的银杏交相辉映，构成了一幅色彩艳丽、气势磅礴的天然画卷。(In autumn, Zhangjiajie is covered in layers of colour; the red leaves on the hillsides and the golden ginkgo trees complement each other, forming a brilliantly colourful and majestic natural panorama.)

Don't Say

• 她的脸色看起来很艳丽 — 艳丽 is used for objects, nature, and attire, not for a person's complexion; for a healthy, radiant complexion say 她的气色很好 or 她面色红润

Origin & History

艳 (gorgeous/brilliant — 丰 abundant + 色 colour — richness of colour) + 丽 (beautiful — 一 one + 鹿 deer, two deer together, suggesting paired beauty)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal