优雅 (yōu yǎ) — graceful, elegant | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Elegant and graceful, often for movement, style, or manners. Higher雅 means refined taste (art, music); 优美 fits scenery and writing more naturally.

adjective

gracefulelegant

优雅。
Tā de wǔ zī fēi cháng yōu yǎ.
Her dance posture is very graceful.
优雅。
Zhè zhǒng yōu yǎ de fēng gé hěn shì hé zhèng shì chǎng hé.
This elegant style is very suitable for formal occasions.
优雅，。
Tā de tán tǔ hěn yōu yǎ, gěi rén liú xià hǎo yìn xiàng.
His speech is very elegant, leaving a good impression on people.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

优yōuexcellent

雅yǎelegant

优 and 雅 both suggest excellence and refinement, so together they mean graceful elegance.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 優; 优 is its simplified writing.

亻憂優

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

憂

憂yōu優yōu

Same sound today

The traditional form 優 combines 亻 (人, person) with 憂 for the sound; the simplified 优 is a later abbreviation.

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

隹牙雅

Meaning part形符xíngfú

隹隹zhuīa short-tailed bird

Sound part声符shēngfú

牙

Same sound today

雅 pairs 隹, a short-tailed bird, with 牙 as its sound part; the bird was a rook/crow, and the sense was extended to refined.

Appears in