Translation and Meaning of: 美 - bi

The Japanese word 「美」, read as "bi" in romaji, represents the concept of beauty. It is fundamental in Japanese culture and aesthetics, playing a central role in the appreciation of art, design, and nature. Beauty, or 「美」, is seen as a harmonious combination of simplicity, subtlety, and elegance, reflected in various forms such as ikebana (flower arrangement) and wabi-sabi, which values the beauty of imperfection.

Etymologically, the kanji 「美」 is composed of two main elements: 「羊」, which means sheep, and 「大」, which means big. In ancient times, sheep were considered precious animals, and their association with the size "big" suggested something of inestimable value. Thus, the composition of the elements suggests that beauty was perceived as something of great worth. This interpretation may still seem abstract, but it demonstrates the evolution of the concept of beauty associated with preciousness and cultural value in Japanese tradition.

The Japanese language also contains various variations and words derived from 「美」. For example, 「美しい」(utsukushii) is an adjective that means "beautiful" or "pretty," widely used to describe landscapes, people, and works of art. Another variation is 「美人」(bijin), which refers to a beautiful person, usually used to describe women. The concept of beauty encapsulated by 「美」 is not just visual; it is deeply integrated into the aesthetic and emotional experience, being a vital part of garden design, tea ceremonies, and even the presentation of meals in Japan.

Cultural Meaning of 「美」

• In Japan, beauty is often associated with ephemeral moments, such as the changing of seasons or the blossoming of cherry trees, encapsulating the perfect balance between permanence and transience.
• The term also reflects profound aesthetic values in the principles of respecting harmony and simplicity in the creation and appreciation of art.
• The idea of arigata-meiwaku, which means accepting an undue favor that causes problems but appreciating it for the beautiful gesture, reflects the intricate understanding and respect for beauty in social interactions.

Furthermore, 「美」 plays a central role in Zen philosophy, where true beauty is perceived through meditation and a life of simplicity. The expression is truly emblematic of how Japanese cultural values and traditions shape and define the perception of aesthetics. It encourages people to find beauty in everything around them, even in the simplest and most everyday things.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 美しい (Utsukushii) - Pretty, cute
• 美麗 (Birei) - Extremely beautiful, elegant
• 美観 (Bikan) - Aesthetic appearance, visual beauty
• 美貌 (Bibō) - Beautiful appearance, physical beauty
• 美形 (Bikei) - Beautiful shape, beautiful form
• 美意識 (Biishiki) - Aesthetic consciousness, perception of beauty
• 美意識的 (Biishikiteki) - Regarding aesthetic consciousness
• 美的 (Biteki) - Aesthetic, related to beauty
• 美学的 (Bigakuteki) - Aesthetic in terms of the philosophy of beauty
• 美術的 (Bijutsuteki) - Regarding the arts, especially visual arts
• 美容的 (Biyōteki) - Regarding beauty and personal care
• 美食的 (Bishokuteki) - Aesthetic gastronomy, beautiful food
• 美徳的 (Bitokuteki) - Virtuoso, related to aesthetic virtues
• 美味的 (Bōiteki) - Delicious, tasty
• 美姿勢 (Bisise) - Beautiful posture, aesthetic posture
• 美姿 (Biji) - Beautiful form, attractive appearance
• 美姿容 (Bijiyō) - Beautiful appearance, external beauty
• 美姿形 (Bishikei) - Aesthetic form, beauty of form
• 美姿美 (Bijibi) - Triple beauty, beauty from all perspectives
• 美姿美形 (Bijibikei) - Beauty in form and appearance
• 美姿美貌 (Bijibibō) - Beauty and attractive appearance
• 美姿端麗 (Biji Tanrei) - Elegance in beauty
• 美姿端麗な (Biji Tanrein na) - To be elegantly beautiful
• 美姿端麗なる (Biji Tanrein naru) - To have an elegantly beautiful nature

美

Romaji: bi
Kana: び
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n1

Translation / Meaning: beauty

Meaning in English: beauty

Definition: Beauty: Word that refers to something beautiful or aesthetic.

Example Sentences - (美) bi

See below some example sentences:

沿線には美しい景色がたくさんあります。

Ensen ni wa utsukushii keshiki ga takusan arimasu

There are many beautiful landscapes along the line.

There are many beautiful landscapes along the line.

• 沿線 (ensen) - along the line
• には (niwa) - location indication
• 美しい (utsukushii) - beautiful
• 景色 (keshiki) - landscape
• が (ga) - subject particle
• たくさん (takusan) - many
• あります (arimasu) - there are

海岸には美しい景色が広がっています。

Kaigan ni wa utsukushii keshiki ga hirogatte imasu

Beautiful landscapes are spreading on the coast.

• 海岸 - coast, beach
• に - particle indicating location
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 美しい - Beautiful, lovely
• 景色 - landscape, view
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 広がっています - extends, spreads

海洋は美しいです。

Kaiyou wa utsukushii desu

The ocean is beautiful.

• 海洋 - It means "ocean" in English.
• は - Japanese topic particle
• 美しい - It means "beautiful" in Japanese.
• です - verb "to be" in Japanese, indicating an affirmative statement

灰色の空は美しいです。

Haiiro no sora wa utsukushii desu

The gray sky is beautiful.

The gray sky is beautiful.

• 灰色 - gray color
• の - Possession particle
• 空 - sky
• は - Topic particle
• 美しい - beautiful
• です - verb to be in the polite form

炎は燃えるように美しい。

Honoo wa moeru you ni utsukushii

The flame is as beautiful as fiery.

• 炎 (honoo) - means "flame" or "fire"
• は (wa) - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 燃える (moeru) - verb that means "to burn" or "to blaze"
• ように (you ni) - expression that indicates the form or manner of something
• 美しい (utsukushii) - adjective meaning "beautiful" or "beautiful"

煌々と輝く星空が美しいです。

Koukou to kagayaku hoshizora ga utsukushii desu

The bright starry sky is beautiful.

The starry and bright sky is beautiful.

• 煌々と - shiny, sparkling
• 輝く - shine, glitter
• 星空 - Starlit sky
• が - subject particle
• 美しい - pretty, beautiful
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

王子は美しい庭園を持っています。

Ōji wa utsukushii teien o motteimasu

O príncipe tem um belo jardim.

• 王子 (ou ōji) - significa "príncipe" em japonês
• は (ou wa) - partícula de tópico em japonês, indica que o sujeito da frase é "príncipe"
• 美しい (ou utsukushii) - The adjective that means "pretty" or "beautiful" in Japanese is "美しい" (utsukushii).
• 庭園 (ou teien) - substantivo que significa "jardim" ou "parque" em japonês
• を (ou o) - partícula de objeto direto em japonês, indica que "jardim" é o objeto direto da ação
• 持っています (ou motteimasu) - verbo que significa "ter" ou "possuir" em japonês, no presente contínuo

玉は美しい宝石です。

Gyoku wa utsukushii houseki desu

The ball is a beautiful gem.

• 玉 - means "precious stone" or "sphere" in Japanese
• は - Japanese topic particle
• 美しい - The adjective that means "pretty" or "beautiful" in Japanese is "美しい" (utsukushii).
• 宝石 - means "precious stone" or "jewel" in Japanese
• です - verb "to be" in Japanese, indicating a statement or declaration

瓶の中には美味しい酒が入っている。

Bin no naka ni wa oishii sake ga haitte iru

There's a delicious good in the bottle.

• 瓶 (bin) - garrafa
• の (no) - Possession particle
• 中 (naka) - inside
• に (ni) - Location particle
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 美味しい (oishii) - delicious
• 酒 (sake) - Japanese alcoholic beverage
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 入っている (haitteiru) - to be contained/inside

生け花は美しい芸術です。

Ikebana wa utsukushii geijutsu desu

Fresh flowers are beautiful art.

• 生け花 - Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangements
• は - Topic particle
• 美しい - beautiful
• 芸術 - art
• です - is