壮美 (zhuàng měi) — magnificent, sublime (of scenery, landscapes, etc.)

Definition

An adjective for scenery, landscapes, or natural grandeur ('magnificent, sublime') — grander in scale than 美丽, which fits people, objects, and everyday beauty.

verb
magnificentsublime (of scenery, landscapes, etc.)

Examples

  • 壮美。
    Zhè lǐ de shān chuān shí fēn zhuàng měi.
    The mountains and rivers here are very magnificent.
  • 壮美。
    Wǒ men bèi zhuàng měi de rì luò shēn shēn zhèn hàn le.
    We were deeply moved by the sublime sunset.
  • 壮美。
    Zhè fú huà zhǎn xiàn le zì rán de zhuàng měi.
    This painting displays the magnificence of nature.

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.

壮zhuàngmagnificent
美měibeautiful

壮 and 美 both describe grand, beautiful scenery, so the meaning is 'magnificent and beautiful'.

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 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

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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