adjective HSK 4
Traditional 美麗
beautiful · lovely
Meaning
美丽 describes visual beauty and attractiveness, typically referring to people, scenery, or things that are pleasing to the eye. It's a more formal and elegant term than 漂亮, often used in written language or when expressing poetic or profound beauty.
Usage
Commonly used to describe natural scenery, women, cities, or abstract concepts like dreams and memories. While 漂亮 is more colloquial and versatile, 美丽 carries a more refined, literary tone. Often appears in formal writing, poetry, and respectful descriptions.
Examples
- 01桂林的山水非常美丽。.The mountains and rivers of Guilin are very beautiful.
- 02她穿着美丽的婚纱走进教堂。.She walked into the church wearing a beautiful wedding dress.
Characters
Common collocations
- 美丽的风景beautiful scenery
- 美丽的姑娘beautiful young woman
- 美丽的梦beautiful dream
- 美丽动人stunningly beautiful
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to beauty: 美 originally depicted a person wearing a headdress of sheep horns (considered beautiful in ancient China), while 丽 shows paired deer, symbolizing grace and elegance.