眉毛
méimáo
The English word 'eyebrow' is expressed in Chinese as 眉毛 (méimáo). If unsure, use 眉毛. Wiktionary also lists 眼眉 (yǎnméi).
Meaning: hair that grows over the bone ridge above the eye socket (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 眉毛 | méimáo | |
| 眼眉 | yǎnméi | regional |
The term refers to the hair that grows over the bone ridge above the eye socket.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 眉毛 (méimáo) is composed of 眉 (eyebrow) and 毛 (hair).
Which one should you use?
眉毛 (méimáo) is the standard and most common term used in mainland China. In contrast, 眼眉 (yǎnméi) is a more regional or literary variation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the term for 'eyebrow' is the single character 眉 (mei4). While 眉毛 is standard in mainland China, 眼眉 (yǎnméi) is a regional variation. Additionally, the single character 眉 (méi) can be used as a shorthand for eyebrow in compound words or poetic contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
méimáo
Did you know?
- Traditional Chinese opera uses specific painted 眉毛 (méimáo) patterns to immediately signal to the audience if a character is a villain or a hero.
- In the study of physiognomy, the specific shape and arch of a person's 眉毛 (méimáo) were traditionally believed to predict their future fortune and innate character.
- In Chinese, the term 眉目 (méimù), literally 'eyebrows and eyes', is used as a metaphor for the clarity or outcome of a situation.
Examples in context
- 请修剪我的眉毛。Please trim my eyebrows.
- 她的眉毛很浓。Tā de méimao hěn nóng.Her eyebrows are very thick.
- 他画了眉毛。Tā huà le méimao.He drew on his eyebrows.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran are looking at a photo together.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看这张照片。Hàorán, nǐ kàn zhè zhāng zhàopiàn.Haoran, look at this photo.
- 浩然 Haoran为什么你的眉毛不对称？Wèishéme nǐ de méimáo bú duìchèn?Why are your eyebrows asymmetrical?
- 佳怡 Jiayi因为我当时在挑眉毛。Yīnwèi wǒ dāngshí zài tiǎo méimáo.Because I was raising my eyebrows then.
- 浩然 Haoran这样看起来很有趣。Zhèyàng kàn qǐlái hěn yǒuqù.It looks very funny this way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eyebrow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
