美人

• Reading: びじん
• Romaji: bijin
• Kanji breakdown: 美 (beauty) + 人 (person) → beautiful person (typically refers to women)
• Pronunciation: /bi.dʑiɴ/

Meaning

A beautiful woman — the classic, elegant term for female beauty in Japanese.

While 美人 is a standard Japanese word rather than slang, it remains the most commonly used term to describe a beautiful woman in everyday conversation. It carries a sense of refined, mature beauty — more elegant than 可愛い (cute) and less hyperbolic than slang terms. In modern usage, it has expanded to compound forms like 美人すぎる (too beautiful) and 美人〇〇 (beautiful X) such as 美人店員 (beautiful shop clerk).

Examples

1. あの女優さん、本当に美人だよね。テレビで見るより綺麗。 That actress is really beautiful, isn't she. She's even prettier than on TV.
2. 新しい先生が美人すぎてクラス中ざわついた。 The new teacher is so beautiful the whole class was buzzing.
3. お母さん美人だねってよく言われるの。 People always tell me my mom is beautiful.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, compliments, social media, entertainment

Tone: admiring, respectful, straightforward

Do Say

• あの人美人だね、モデルさん？ (That person is beautiful — are they a model?)
• 美人で頭もいいなんて最強 (Beautiful and smart — unbeatable)

Don't Say

• 外見だけで「美人ですね」を繰り返すとセクハラになりうる (Repeatedly saying 'bijin desu ne' about someone's looks can constitute harassment)

Common Mistakes

• Using 美人 for men — it traditionally refers to women (use イケメン or 美男 for men)
• Not knowing the distinction: 美人 = elegant beauty, 可愛い = cute charm, 綺麗 = clean/pretty

Origin & History

Classical Japanese compound: 美 (beauty) + 人 (person). Has been in continuous use for centuries. Modern casual usage expanded with social media compounds like 美人すぎる.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical Japanese, continuously used across all eras

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Regional beauty ideals vary but 美人 is universal. Famous regional references: 秋田美人 (Akita beauties), 京美人 (Kyoto beauties). Modern compounds: 美人すぎる〇〇 (too-beautiful X) became a media trope.