How to write 美 (měi) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

měi beautiful, pretty; pleasing 9 strokes · Radical 羊 (sheep) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced měi.

beautiful
pretty
pleasing

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

Decomposition

美 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Top + Bottom. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

美 =

羊 top sheep

大 bottom big

Radical

The radical of 美 is 羊 — meaning sheep. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

How the character is built

美 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. A person 大 wearing an elegant crown 羊.

HSK 4 Words Containing 美

美 měi beautiful; pretty

这首歌唱得真美。

Zhè shǒu gē chàng de zhēn měi.

This song was sung beautifully.

美好 měihǎo wonderful; splendid

祝你有一个美好的假期。

Zhù nǐ yǒu yí gè měihǎo de jiàqī.

Wish you a wonderful holiday.

美景 měijǐng beautiful scenery

旅途中我们看到了许多美景。

Lǚtú zhōng wǒmen kàndào le xǔduō měijǐng.

We saw many beautiful scenes during the trip.

美丽 měilì beautiful; gorgeous

她是一个美丽的姑娘。

Tā shì yí gè měilì de gūniang.

She is a beautiful girl.

美食 měishí delicious food; gourmet food

成都有很多美食。

Chéngdū yǒu hěn duō měishí.

Chengdu has lots of delicious food.

FAQ

What does 美 mean in Chinese?

美 (měi) means beautiful, pretty; pleasing. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 美 have?

美 is written in 9 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 美?

The radical of 美 is 羊 (sheep).

What is the pinyin for 美?

美 is pronounced měi.

What HSK 4 words use 美?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 美 appears in 5 words, including 美 (měi), 美好 (měihǎo), 美景 (měijǐng), 美丽 (měilì). See the full list above.