很漂亮
hěn piàoliang
The English phrase 'very pretty' is expressed in Chinese as 很漂亮 (hěn piàoliang).
The phrase is used to describe someone or something that is visually attractive.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 很漂亮 is composed of 很 meaning 'very' and 漂亮 meaning 'pretty' or 'beautiful'.
Which one should you use?
While 很漂亮 is the standard way to say very pretty, you can use 漂亮极了 or 美翻了 to emphasize extreme prettiness or to express extreme admiration for someone's beauty. For a more formal or poetic tone, you can use 十分美丽.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, the informal way to say very pretty is 好靚. In Taiwanese Mandarin, the informal way to say very pretty is 好漂亮.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, when using an adjective like 很漂亮 to say 'is very pretty', you do not use the verb 'to be' (是 shì) before the adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
hěn piàoliang
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say 是很漂亮 (shì hěn piàoliang) by trying to translate the English verb 'is' directly into Chinese.
Did you know?
- When using 漂亮 to describe a person's actions, such as a clever move in a game, it means 'brilliant' or 'splendid' rather than physical beauty.
- The phrase 美翻了 (měi fān le) uses the word for 'to flip' or 'to turn over' to mean beauty that is so overwhelming it 'flips' the person.
- The character 亮 (liàng) in 漂亮 means 'bright' or 'shining', suggesting that something pretty must also have a certain luminous quality.
Examples in context
- 瑪麗很漂亮。Mary is very pretty.This sentence is useful for stating that Mary is very pretty using 很漂亮.Tatoeba #5708687 by xjjAstrus, translation #1030057 by CK
- 这面旗子很漂亮。This flag is very pretty.This sentence is useful for describing a flag as being very pretty using 很漂亮.Tatoeba #442119 by GlossaMatik, translation #707432 by papabear
- 你同學的衣服很漂亮。Your classmate's clothes are very pretty.This sentence is useful for saying a classmate's clothes are very pretty using 很漂亮.Tatoeba #6056566 by xjjAstrus, translation #7211471 by anattado
- 你今天非常漂亮！You look very pretty today!
- 她的笑容十分美丽。Her smile is very beautiful.
- 她的新发型好看吗？Does her new hairstyle look good?
- 她的服装漂亮极了！Her outfit is incredibly pretty!
- 那位模特真是美翻了！That model is absolutely stunning!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Haoran are looking at a flower garden.
- 梓涵 Zihan这些花很漂亮。Zhèxiē huā hěn piàoliang.These flowers are very pretty.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，它们很漂亮。Shì de, tāmen hěn piàoliang.Yes, they are very pretty.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，你看那个花园也很漂亮。Hàorán, nǐ kàn nàge huāyuán yě hěn piàoliang.Haoran, look, that garden is also very pretty.
- 浩然 Haoran我也觉得那里很漂亮。Wǒ yě juéde nàlǐ hěn piàoliang.I also think it is very pretty there.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
