華麗 / 华丽
huálì
The English word "gorgeous" can be translated into Chinese as 華麗 / 华丽 (huálì) or 絢爛 / 绚烂.
Meaning: very beautiful (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 華麗 / 华丽 | huálì |
| 絢爛 / 绚烂 | xuànlàn |
They are typically applied to grand objects, brilliant displays or magnificent styles rather than describing a person in a casual way.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two forms depends on what kind of brilliance you are describing. 華麗 / 华丽 (huálì) is used for things that are ornate, grand or magnificent, such as a style of clothing or a piece of architecture. In contrast, 絢爛 / 绚烂 (xuànlàn) is used for things that are dazzling or brilliant, such as bright colors, light or a spectacular display like fireworks.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 華麗 / 华丽 is huálì.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 華麗 / 华丽 to describe a person's beauty in a casual, everyday conversation. Instead, use 漂亮 (piàoliang) or 美丽 (měilì).
Did you know?
- The character 爛 / 烂 in 絢爛 / 绚烂 can also mean 'rotten' or 'mushy' in other contexts, creating a linguistic tension between 'splendid' and 'decayed'.
- The character 華 (huá) in 華麗 is also used as a poetic name for China itself. This links the concept of 'gorgeousness' to the cultural identity and prestige of the Chinese civilization.
- If you want to describe a person's beauty using a similar level of intensity as 'gorgeous', Chinese speakers often use the word 美呆了 (měidāile), which literally means 'so beautiful one is stunned into silence'.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gorgeous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
