Japanese Symbol for
美bi
beauty · elegance · aesthetic
Readings
Meaning
Beauty, elegance, aesthetic refinement. 美 encompasses physical beauty, artistic beauty, and the broader Japanese aesthetic sensibility. It is one of the most culturally loaded kanji in the language.
Example words
花
hana
flower, blossom, beauty, best
美貌
bibō
beautiful face, good looks
美術
bijutsu
art, fine arts
端麗
tanrei
grace, beauty, elegance
美意識
bi-ishiki
aesthetic sense, sense of beauty
佳人
kajin
beautiful woman, beauty
Japanese aesthetic concepts like 侘び寂び (wabi-sabi — finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence) and 物の哀れ (mono no aware — the bittersweet beauty of transience) are deeply connected to 美. The word 美人 (bijin, beautiful person) is one of the most common compliments in Japanese.
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