美
美
“beautiful”
Radical: 羊
Strokes: 9
Level: HSK 4
How 美 is built — stacked top over bottom
羊
Sheep · yáng
A sheep with horns. 美 beautiful = sheep + big. 鲜 fresh = fish + sheep.
大
big
big, great, vast, high, deep
The story behind 美
A sheep (羊) looking big (大) = beautiful (美). In ancient times a fat sheep was beautiful.
💡 美国 (Měiguó) = America. 美女 (měinǚ) = beautiful woman.
Words with 美
美丽 měi lì — beautiful
美术 měi shù — art
完美 wán měi — perfect
优美 yōu měi — graceful
赞美 zàn měi — admire
美观 měi guān — pleasing to the eye
美满 měi mǎn — happy
美妙 měi miào — beautiful
审美 shěn měi — esthetics
物美价廉 wù měi jià lián — cheap and fine
Related characters
Practice 美 in the free app — animated stroke order, tone training with your microphone, and spaced-repetition flashcards.
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