美

• 拼音: měi
• 汉字拆解: 美 = 羊 (sheep) + 大 (big) — a large, well-fed sheep was considered beautiful; also interpreted as a person adorned with a headdress

含义

Beautiful; pretty; fine. A general term for beauty, applicable to appearance, scenery, experiences, and abstract concepts.

One of the most versatile adjectives in Chinese. Can describe visual beauty (风景很美 = the scenery is beautiful), pleasant experiences (美梦 = beautiful dream), and even taste (美味 = delicious). Also used in many compound words: 美丽, 美好, 美食, 美术, 美元. In casual speech, 美 can mean pleased or happy (心里美滋滋的). Much broader in scope than 漂亮 which focuses mainly on visual attractiveness.

例句

1. 这里的风景真美。
2. 她穿上新裙子特别美。
3. 秋天的枫叶美得像一幅画。

用法指南

语境: appearance, scenery, appreciation

语气: admiring

正确说法

• 日落真美啊！(The sunset is so beautiful!)
• 这首曲子的旋律很美。(The melody of this piece is very beautiful.)

错误说法

• 这个男人很美。(For men, 美 sounds unnatural — use 帅 (handsome) instead. 美 is typically reserved for women, scenery, or abstract things.)

起源与历史

美 is a pictograph showing a person (大) wearing a headdress of feathers or horns (羊), representing adornment and beauty. Some scholars interpret it as a large sheep — well-fed and pleasing.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal