精美绝伦 (jīng měi jué lún) — exquisitely beautiful; superb; incomparable

Definition

A formal four-character idiom meaning 'exquisite beyond compare' — describes craftsmanship, art, or scenery with no equal. Stronger and more literary than plain 精美.

idiom
exquisitely beautifulsuperbincomparable

Examples

  • 精美绝伦，。
    Zhè jiàn yù qì jīng měi jué lún, gōng yì gāo chāo.
    This jade piece is exquisite and unmatched; the craftsmanship is superb.
  • 精美绝伦。
    Sū zhōu yuán lín de jīng měi jué lún jǐng sè ràng rén nán wàng.
    The exquisite scenery of Suzhou gardens is unforgettable.
  • 精美绝伦。
    Zhè fú huà de jīng měi jué lún gōng yì lìng rén zàn tàn.
    The exquisite craftsmanship of this painting is admirable.

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.

精美exquisite
精jīngrefined美měibeautiful
联合Side by side
绝伦beyond peers
绝juésurpass伦lúnpeers
动宾Verb + object

精美 (exquisite) and 绝伦 (beyond peers) combine to mean superb and incomparable.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 倫; 伦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún倫lún
Same sound today

The traditional form 倫 uses 人 to show people and 侖 to give its sound; the simplified 伦 is a later shorthand.

Open 伦 →

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