Chinese Character: 美
1. Character Basics
Radical: 大 (dà) - Big radical
Stroke Count: 9 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: měi (Third tone)
3. Meaning
Beautiful; pretty; good; fine; aesthetic; pleasing; excellent
4. Common Words
- 美丽 (měilì) - Beautiful; pretty
- 美好 (měihǎo) - Fine; wonderful; excellent
- 美观 (měiguān) - Beautiful and pleasing to the eye
- 美食 (měishí) - Delicious food; cuisine
- 美术 (měishù) - Fine arts
- 美女 (měinǚ) - Beautiful woman
- 美景 (měijǐng) - Beautiful scenery
- 完美 (wánměi) - Perfect
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "美" is primarily used as an adjective meaning "beautiful" or "good." It can be combined with other characters to form compound adjectives or nouns. For example, "美丽" means "beautiful," and "美术" means "fine arts." It can also be used in phrases like "美中不足" (měizhōngbùzú), meaning "perfect except for one thing."
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of "美" (beauty) goes beyond physical appearance and includes inner beauty, harmony, and balance. Traditional Chinese aesthetics emphasize the unity of nature and humans, as well as the integration of form and spirit. Phrases like "心灵美" (xīnlíngměi) meaning "inner beauty" reflect the cultural value placed on virtue over external appearance.
7. Example Sentence
这座城市的风景真美。
Zhè zuò chéngshì de fēngjǐng zhēn měi.
The scenery of this city is really beautiful.
8. Memory Tips
The character "美" can be remembered as a person (人) wearing a hat (⺷) standing on a platform (大), representing someone who is well-dressed and looks beautiful. The pronunciation "měi" sounds similar to the English word "may," but with a falling-rising tone.