美丽美麗 měilì — beautiful (of scenery, women, writing)
měilì (third tone, dipping)mei3li4
Traditional: 美麗
beautiful (of scenery, women, writing)
HSK 4· HSK 1–4 (classic)adjective
Meanings
beautiful (of scenery, women, writing)
A more literary, grander word than 漂亮 — a mountain, a country, a piece of writing rather than a haircut or a new shirt. It is never used for men, where 帅 is the word, and it rarely describes something small or ordinary.
adjective
Example sentences
- 这个国家的风景非常美丽。這個國家的風景非常美麗。Zhège (fourth tone, falling) guójiā (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) fēngjǐng (first tone, high and level) fēicháng (first tone, high and level) měilì. (third tone, dipping)···
The scenery in this country is extremely beautiful.
- 她穿着一条美丽的裙子。她穿著一條美麗的裙子。Tā (first tone, high and level) chuānzhe (first tone, high and level) yì (fourth tone, falling) tiáo (second tone, rising) měilì (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) qúnzi. (second tone, rising)···
She was wearing a beautiful dress.
Common mistakes
Not quite这件衣服很美丽，我想买。
Correct这件衣服很漂亮，我想买。
漂亮 is the everyday word for attractive — people, clothes, a haircut. 美丽 is more literary and grander in scope — a landscape, a country, a poem — and sounds oddly heavy for something as ordinary as a shirt.