美人
bijin[bʲiʑĩɴ]
The English phrase "beautiful person" in Japanese is 美人 (bijin).
美人 is a term commonly used to describe a beautiful woman. If you want to say "beautiful person" more literally, you can use 美しい人.
Did you know?
- The spelling of 美人 is an example of jukujikun, where kanji are assigned to a phrase based on its meaning rather than its actual phonetic reading.
- Japanese has a specific concept called 美人画 which refers to a traditional genre of art focusing solely on the depiction of beautiful women.
- Calling someone a 美人 is considered a high compliment, but describing a woman as 美しい can sometimes sound overly poetic or distant in casual conversation.
Examples in context
- 彼女は本当に美しい人です。She is truly a beautiful person.
- 彼女はすごく美人だよ。She is incredibly beautiful.
- 彼はイケメンだよね。He is such a handsome guy.
- 彼女はとても美人です。Kanojo wa totemo bijin desu.She is a very beautiful person.
- 隣の席の人は美人ですね。Tonari no seki no hito wa bijin desu ne.The person in the next seat is a beautiful person, isn't she?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a celebrity on television.
- 陽葵 Himariあの女優は本当に美人だね。Ano joyuu wa hontou ni bijin da ne.That actress is truly a beautiful person, isn't she?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね、陽葵の好みだね。Sou da ne, Himari no konomi da ne.You're right, she's your type, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔、そんなことないよ！Hiroto, sonna koto nai yo!Hiroto, that's not true!
- 大翔 Hirotoあはは、冗談だよ。Ahaha, joudan da yo.Ahaha, I'm just joking.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 美人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 美人, CC BY-SA 4.0.
