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秀丽 (xiù lì) — beautiful, pretty, elegant (of scenery, handwriting, appearance, etc.)

Definition

秀丽 (xiùlì) is a written, slightly literary adjective for delicate, refined beauty — scenery, handwriting, or appearance. Stronger and more elegant than everyday 漂亮, more refined than 美.

adjective
beautifulprettyelegant (of scenery, handwriting, appearance, etc.)

Examples

  • 秀丽。
    Tā de róng mào shí fēn xiù lì.
    Her appearance is very beautiful.
  • 秀丽。
    Zhè piàn hú guāng shān sè xiù lì rú huà.
    This lake and mountain scenery is as beautiful as a painting.
  • 秀丽。
    Tā xiě le yì shǒu xiù lì de máo bǐ zì.
    He writes a beautiful hand in brush calligraphy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

秀xiùelegant
丽lìbeautiful

秀 (elegant) and 丽 (beautiful) blend to describe graceful beauty.

Characters in this word

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

秀 pairs 禾 (rice plant) with 引 (to draw out flowers), showing a rice plant putting out flowers.

Open 秀 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 麗; 丽 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 麗 originally showed a deer with antlers. The simplified 丽 is a later shorthand.

Open 丽 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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