美女
měinǚ
The English phrase "beautiful woman" is translated into Mandarin as 美女 (měinǚ).
美女 refers to a woman who is physically attractive. In modern mainland China, it is frequently used as a colloquial way to address a young woman, similar to calling someone "miss" or "hey beautiful", regardless of whether she is actually exceptionally beautiful.
Which one should you use?
While 美女 is the common, modern way to say beautiful woman, the term 美人 (měirén) sounds more literary, classical or poetic.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can create the form 大美女 by adding the intensifier 大 (big) before 美女 to mean an exceptionally beautiful woman.
How do you pronounce it?
měinǚ
Did you know?
- In contrast to the modern 美女, the term 倾城 (qīngchéng) describes a beauty so great that it could 'topple a city', referring to a famous legend about a woman whose looks caused a war.
- While 美女 is common today, the classical term 美人 was historically used in poetry to symbolize a lost love or even a longing for a virtuous political leader.
- The term 美女 is often paired with 帅哥 (shuàigē), meaning 'handsome guy', to create a gender-balanced set of casual addresses in social settings.
Examples in context
- 我是个化妆师，每当我把一个姑娘变成大美女。I'm a make-up artist. I can turn any girl into a beautiful woman.This sentence shows the use of 美女 when describing someone transformed by make-up.Tatoeba #1298060 by sysko, translation #1299105 by rahim
- 「克里奧帕特拉」這個名字已經成為了美女的代名詞。The name Cleopatra has become a byword for a beautiful woman.This sentence illustrates how a name can be used as a synonym for a 美女.Tatoeba #508966 by nickyeow, translation #329614 by fcbond
- 那位姑娘是一个美丽的女人That young lady is a beautiful woman.
- 这个广告中的模特是一位靓女The model in this advertisement is a beautiful woman.
- 今天地铁上有好多美女There were many beautiful women on the subway today.
- 这位漂亮的姑娘是我的朋友This beautiful young woman is my friend.
- 那位美女正在拍照。Nà wèi měinǚ zhèngzài pāizhào.That beautiful woman is taking photos.
Example conversation
Two friends are people-watching at a shopping mall.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，你看那边那位美女。Yǔtíng, nǐ kàn nà biān nà wèi měinǚ.Yuting, look at that beautiful woman over there.
- 雨婷 Yuting她的衣服真好看。Tā de yīfu zhēn hǎokàn.Her clothes are really nice.
- 俊杰 Junjie她的气质也很好。Tā de qìzhì yě hěn hǎo.Her aura is also very elegant.
- 雨婷 Yuting确实是一位美女。Quèshí shì yī wèi měinǚ.She truly is a beautiful woman.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
