凄美 (qī měi) — sad and beautiful; poignant (describes a scene, story, or work of art that stirs emotion through melancholy beauty)

Definition

Describes something (a story, scene, or piece of art) that is beautiful precisely because of its sadness or desolation — 'bittersweet beauty' rather than pure prettiness.

adjective
sad and beautifulpoignant (describes a scene, story, or work of art that stirs emotion through melancholy beauty)

Examples

  • 凄美，。
    Zhè ge gù shi hěn qī měi, kàn wán ràng rén jiǔ jiǔ bù néng wàng huái.
    This story is so poignant — it stays with you long after you finish it.
  • 凄美，。
    Dōng rì lǐ huāng liáng de qī měi jǐng sè, yǒu yì zhǒng tè bié de yùn wèi.
    The desolate and beautiful scenery in winter has a special charm.
  • 凄美。
    Zhè shǒu qī měi de yuè qǔ ràng rén tīng le rěn bú zhù luò lèi.
    This sad and beautiful piece of music makes people cry when they hear it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

凄qīsad
美měibeautiful

The senses of 凄 (sad) and 美 (beautiful) merge into a poignant, melancholy beauty.

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
妻
妻qī凄qī
Same sound today

凄 combines 冫 (ice, written fully as 仌) to show cold with 妻 to give the sound.

Open 凄 →

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 →

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