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Kotomora

美

beauty, beautiful

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 500Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • ビ
  • ミ

Kun'yomi

  • うつく.しい

Nanori

  • はる
  • よし
  • よしみ
  • り

Meaning

美 centers on the quality of being beautiful: something that is pleasing to the senses or aesthetically attractive.

Most common words using 美

24 of 408
  • 美しいうつくしい
    N4

    beautiful; pretty; lovely; sweet; pure (heart, friendship, etc.)

  • 美味しいおいしい
    N5

    good(-tasting); nice; delicious; tasty

  • 美び
    N1

    beauty

  • 美人びじん
    N3

    beautiful woman; (a) beauty; belle; good-looker

  • 美容びよう
    N2

    beauty; good figure; (beautiful) appearance; (beautiful) features

  • 美女びじょ
    N3

    beautiful woman

  • 美術びじゅつ
    N3

    art; fine arts

  • 美術館びじゅつかん
    N5

    art museum; art gallery

  • 褒美ほうび
    N1

    reward; prize

  • 美貌びぼう

    beautiful face; good looks; beauty

  • 美学びがく

    esthetics; aesthetics

  • 賛美さんび
    N1

    praise; glorification; extolment

  • 美化びか
    N1

    beautification; glorification

  • 優美ゆうび
    N1

    grace; refinement; elegance; daintiness

  • 美意識びいしき

    sense of beauty; aesthetic sense

  • 甘美かんび

    sweet (taste); luscious

  • 美点びてん

    virtue; charm; merit; good point

  • 華美かび
    N1

    splendor; splendour; gorgeousness; pomp; magnificence

  • 美辞麗句びじれいく

    flowery words; rhetorical flourishes

  • 美術展びじゅつてん

    art exhibition

  • 美容師びようし
    N3

    beautician; cosmetician; hairdresser; hair stylist

  • 美容院びよういん
    N4

    beauty parlour; beauty parlor; beauty salon; hairdressing salon

  • ご褒美ごほうび

    reward; prize

  • 美白びはく

    beautifully white (esp. of skin)

Explore all words using 美 →

Study

Etymology

美 combines 羊 (sheep) and 大 (big), historically suggesting a large, well-fed sheep as a symbol of beauty or desirability.

Meaning mnemonic

A big 大 sheep 羊 is considered beautiful: its size and health make it a pleasing sight.

Reading mnemonic

For ビ, imagine a beautiful bee buzzing around a big sheep: bee -> ビ, and the bee is drawn to the sheep's beauty.