美
美 (měi) means “beautiful”. It is made of 羊 + 大 and has 9 strokes, and is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 美 into its parts
What 美 is made of
- 羊 yáng — sheep
- 丷 ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 丷 ha — kwukyel
- 大 dà — big
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 人 rén — person
Origin hint: A person 大 wearing an elegant crown 羊 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
美 stroke order
Example sentences
这里的风景真美。Zhèlǐ de fēngjǐng zhēn měi.The scenery here is really beautiful.
她唱得多美啊！Tā chàng de duō měi a!How beautifully she sings!
Words with 美
- 美好měihǎowonderful
- 美丽měilìbeautiful
- 美食měishídelicious food
- 美术měishùart
- 美元měiyuánUS dollar
- 完美wánměiperfect
- 美金měijīnUS dollar
- 美女měinǚbeautiful woman
- 优美yōuměigraceful
- 赞美zànměito praise
- 美观měiguānattractive
- 美满měimǎnhappy
- 美妙měimiàowonderful
- 审美shěnměiaesthetic
- 物美价廉wùměijiàliángood and cheap
- 美景měijǐngbeautiful scenery
Also built with 羊
- 养yǎngto raise (animals)
- 善shàngood
- 差chàpoor
- 样yàngform
- 氧yǎngoxygen
- 洋yángsea
- 痒yǎngitchy
- 盖gàilid
- 着zheongoing-state particle
- 祥xiánghappiness
- 羞xiūshame
- 羡xiànto envy
Quick facts
| Pinyin | měi |
|---|---|
| Meaning | beautiful; nice; American |
| Strokes | 9 |
| Radical | 羊 (sheep, #123) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 4 (exam 2025) · HSK 3 (2021) |
Questions about 美
What does 美 mean?
美 (měi) means “beautiful; nice; American”.
How many strokes does 美 have?
美 has 9 strokes.
What is the radical of 美?
The radical of 美 is 羊 (yáng, “sheep”), Kangxi radical number 123.
What parts make up 美?
美 is made of 羊 (sheep) and 大 (big).
Which HSK level is 美?
美 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021).
Learn 美 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 88: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.