诱人

• Pinyin: yòu rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 诱 = 言 + 秀 (speech + elegant — to lead/attract); 人 = person (pictograph of standing human)

Meaning

Alluring; enticing; tempting; attractive. Describes something that is powerfully appealing to the senses or desires, drawing one toward it.

Can describe physical attractiveness, appetizing food, or tempting opportunities. More sensory and emotive than 吸引人 (attracting people). Carries a mild sense of irresistibility. Frequently used in marketing, food writing, and descriptions of opportunities or offers. In formal contexts can describe strategic incentives or proposals designed to appeal strongly.

Examples

1. 这片南太平洋群岛海水湛蓝、珊瑚完整、沙滩洁白，对想逃离都市压力的旅行者很诱人。 This South Pacific island group has blue water, intact coral reefs, and white beaches, making it very appealing to travelers who want to escape urban stress.
2. 那份方案虽诱人，承诺三年内做到行业第一，但独立董事看完后质疑其可行性。 That plan was tempting, promising to become number one in the industry within three years, but the independent directors questioned its feasibility after reviewing it.
3. 他解释说，大脑把高糖高脂食物视作诱人的美食，是因为进化中的热量匮乏塑造了奖赏机制。 He explained that the brain sees high-sugar, high-fat foods as tempting delicacies because evolutionary calorie scarcity shaped the reward system.

Usage Guide

Context: description, marketing, food, opportunity, aesthetics

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这座博物馆新开的数字展览以诱人的互动设计吸引了二十多万人参观。(This museum's new digital exhibition drew over 200,000 visitors with its enticing interactive design.)
• 这份创业计划书表面诱人，但尽调发现其获客成本过高，难以实现可持续盈利。(This startup plan looks enticing on the surface, but due diligence found that its acquisition costs are too high for sustainable profits.)

Don't Say

• 他看起来非常诱人 — while technically grammatical, using 诱人 for people's physical attractiveness can sound objectifying or predatory in formal contexts; use 迷人 (charming), 有魅力 (charismatic), or 好看 (good-looking) instead

Origin & History

诱 (to entice/attract — 言 speech + 秀 elegant) + 人 (person/people). Together: enticing to people; that which draws people in.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal