健美 (jiàn měi) — (noun) bodybuilding; (adjective) fit and beautiful, healthy and strong

Definition

Refers to a body that is both strong and shapely — the standard term in fitness/bodybuilding contexts (as in 健美比赛 'bodybuilding competition'). Stronger and more athletic-sounding than 茁壮, which describes plants or young organisms growing vigorously.

noun
bodybuilding
adjective
fit and beautifulhealthy and strong

Examples

  • 健美
    Tā měi tiān qù jiàn shēn fáng liàn jiàn měi, shēn cái yuè lái yuè hǎo le.
    He goes to the gym every day to do bodybuilding, and his figure is getting better and better.
  • 健美
    Zhè wèi yùn dòng yuán de jiàn měi shēn cái ràng rén xiàn mù.
    This athlete's fit and beautiful physique makes people envious.
  • 健美
    Tā cān jiā le yì chǎng guó jì jiàn měi bǐ sài, huò dé le guàn jūn.
    She participated in an international bodybuilding competition and won the championship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

jiànhealthy
měibeautiful

健 “healthy” and 美 “beautiful” combine to describe a fit, attractive body, as in bodybuilding.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asrénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
jiànjiàn
Same sound today

The left part 亻 depicts a person, and the right part 建 gives the sound.

Open 健 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

Open 美 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.