美 meaning and stroke order
Beautiful; very satisfactory; good; to beautify
How to write 美, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 美
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- beautiful
- very satisfactory; good
- to beautify
- to be pleased with oneself
How 美 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 大 wearing an elegant crown 羊.
Radical: 羊 (sheep), shared by 23 characters on this site.
How to remember 美
美 (měi) is 羊 on top of 大. Picture a person 大 standing tall in an elegant crown shaped like 羊, and that grand look is beautiful.
美 appears in many words for beauty and good things, such as 美丽 (měilì) beautiful and 美好 (měihǎo) fine. It also stands for America, as in 美元 (měiyuán) US dollar. Example: 这里的风景很美。(Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng hěn měi.) The scenery here is beautiful.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as a full 羊 with its long vertical stroke running through. In 美 the 羊 part has no stroke going down into 大, because the top sits flat on 大. Also keep the third tone in 美丽, where 美 is said as a low dipping měi before lì.
Common words with 美
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 完美 | wánměi | perfect | HSK 3 |
| 美丽 | měilì | beautiful | HSK 3 |
| 美好 | měihǎo | beautiful; fine | HSK 3 |
| 美元 | měiyuán | American dollar; US dollar | HSK 3 |
| 美食 | měishí | culinary delicacy; fine food | HSK 3 |
| 美术 | měishù | art; fine arts | HSK 3 |
| 美女 | měinǚ | beautiful woman | HSK 4 |
| 美金 | měijīn | American dollar; US dollar | HSK 4 |
| 优美 | yōuměi | graceful; fine | HSK 4 |
| 美容 | měiróng | to improve one's appearance (using cosmetics or cosmetic surgery); to make oneself more at | HSK 6 |
| 精美 | jīngměi | exquisite; elegant; fine | HSK 6 |
| 美妙 | měimiào | beautiful; wonderful | HSK 7-9 |
| 美味 | měiwèi | delicious; delicious food | HSK 7-9 |
| 赞美 | zànměi | to admire; to praise | HSK 7-9 |
美 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 美
Learning 美 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 美
How many strokes are in 美?
美 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 美 mean?
美 (měi) means beautiful; very satisfactory; good; to beautify. A common word with it is 完美 (wánměi), meaning "perfect".
How do you pronounce 美?
美 is pronounced měi, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 美?
The radical of 美 is 羊, which carries the idea of "sheep". Dictionaries list 美 under this radical.
Is 美 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 美 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 美 mean America?
美 is short for 美国 (Měiguó), the name for the United States. It was chosen for its sound and its good meaning. So 美元 and 美金 both mean US dollars.
What is the difference between 美 and 漂亮 (piàoliang)?
漂亮 is the everyday word for pretty or good-looking, especially for people, clothes and things. 美 alone sounds a bit more literary and is common for scenery, art and feelings. In compounds like 美食 and 美女, 美 is very common in speech.