修指甲
xiūzhǐjia
The English phrase 'manicure' is translated into Chinese as 修指甲 (xiūzhǐjia). Wiktionary also lists 修指 (xiūzhǐ).
Meaning: cosmetic treatment for the fingernails (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 修指甲 | xiūzhǐjia |
| 修指 | xiūzhǐ |
The term 修指甲 refers to the act of grooming or trimming fingernails. If you are referring specifically to professional nail salon services, such as applying colored polish or decorative nail art, it is more common to use the term 做美甲.
Which one should you use?
修指甲 is used for the functional act of trimming or grooming the nails, whereas 做美甲 is used for more decorative or aesthetic services like nail art.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 修指甲 functions as a verb phrase meaning 'to do a manicure' or 'to trim fingernails'.
How do you pronounce it?
xiūzhǐjia
Did you know?
- The verb 修 in 修指甲 is the same word used for 'repairing' a car or 'renovating' a building. This frames the act of a manicure as a process of restoration or structural fixing.
- In some traditional Chinese contexts, men growing long fingernails was a sign of high social status. It signaled to others that the man did not have to perform manual labor.
- The character 甲 used in 修指甲 is the same character used for 'armor' or 'shell'. This reflects a linguistic view of the fingernail as a protective plating for the fingertip.
Examples in context
- 她经常去做指甲美容。She frequently gets manicures.
- 你去美甲店试过花式指甲吗?Have you tried fancy nail art at a nail salon?
- 我需要一个美甲修护的套餐。I need a nail care package.
- 我想去修指甲。Wǒ xiǎng qù xiū zhǐjia.I want to get a manicure.
- 这里的修指甲很专业。Zhèlǐ de xiū zhǐjia hěn zhuānyè.The manicure service here is very professional.
- 你要不要去修指甲？Nǐ yào bù yào qù xiū zhǐjia?Do you want to get a manicure?
Example conversation
Two friends are walking through a shopping mall.
- 志强 Zhiqiang晓雯，我们要不要去修指甲？Xiǎowén, wǒmen yào bù yào qù xiū zhǐjia?Xiaowen, do you want to get a manicure?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好啊，我正好想修指甲。Hǎo a, wǒ zhènghǎo xiǎng xiū zhǐjia.Sure, I happen to want a manicure.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们去那家美甲店吧。Nà wǒmen qù nà jiā měijiǎ diàn ba.Then let's go to that nail salon.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，那我们走吧。Zhìqiáng, nà wǒmen zǒu ba.Zhiqiang, let's go then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “manicure” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
