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

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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:

私たちは美味しい且つ健康的な食事を食べることが大切だと思います。

Watashitachi wa oishii katsu kenkō

I think it's important to eat delicious and healthy meals.

• 私たち - Personal pronoun "we"
• 美味しい - Adjective "delicious"
• 且つ - conjunction "and"
• 健康的な - adjective "healthy"
• 食事 - noun "meal"
• を - direct object" particle
• 食べる - verb "to eat"
• こと - noun "thing"
• が - subject" particle
• 大切 - adjective "important"
• だ - verb to be"
• と - quote" particle
• 思います - verb "to think"

私の家の近くには美しい公園があります。

Watashi no ie no chikaku ni wa utsukushii en ga arimasu

There is a beautiful park near my house.

There is a beautiful park near my house.

• 私の家の近くには - "Near my house"
• 美しい - "bonito"
• 公園があります - "There is a park"

紅葉が美しい季節です。

Kouyou ga utsukushii kisetsu desu

It's a beautiful season with the red leaves.

It's the season when autumn leaves are beautiful.

• 紅葉 - red leaves
• が - subject particle
• 美しい - beautiful
• 季節 - Season
• です - Verb "to be" in the present tense

純情な恋愛は美しいものです。

Junjou na ren'ai wa utsukushii mono desu

Pure romance is beautiful.

• 純情 (junjou) - innocence, purity
• な (na) - Grammar particle indicating adjective
• 恋愛 (renai) - love, romance
• は (wa) - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 美しい (utsukushii) - Beautiful, lovely
• もの (mono) - thing, object
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

美しい花が咲いています。

Utsukushii hana ga saite imasu

Beautiful flowers are blooming.

• 美しい - Beautiful, nice
• 花 - flower
• が - subject particle
• 咲いています - It's blooming

背景が美しいですね。

Haikei ga utsukushii desu ne

The background is beautiful.

• 背景 (hái jǐng) - background
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 美しい (utsukushii) - nice or beautiful
• です (desu) - Verb to be in the present
• ね (ne) - particle of confirmation or agreement

草は緑色の美しい植物です。

Kusa wa midoriiro no utsukushii shokubutsu desu

The grass is a beautiful green plant.

• 草 (kusa) - grass
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 緑色 (midori iro) - green color
• の (no) - Possession particle
• 美しい (utsukushii) - Beautiful, lovely
• 植物 (shokubutsu) - plant
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar in the present

蓮は美しい花です。

Ren wa utsukushii hana desu

Lotus is a beautiful flower.

Lotus is a beautiful flower.

• 蓮 - lotus
• は - Topic particle
• 美しい - pretty
• 花 - flower
• です - Ser/estar (linking verb)

蜜をかけて食べると美味しいです。

Mitsu wo kakete taberu to oishii desu

It is delicious to eat with honey.

• 蜜 - honey
• を - object particle
• かけて - Verb "colocar" in the gerund
• 食べる - Verb "to eat" in the infinitive
• と - Comparison particle
• 美味しい - Adjective "delicious"
• です - Verb "to be" in the present

褒美をもらうと嬉しいです。

Houbi wo morau to ureshii desu

Glad if you get a reward.

• 褒美 (Houbi) - REWARD
• を (wo) - object particle
• もらう (morau) - To receive
• と (to) - Conjunction particle
• 嬉しい (ureshii) - happy
• です (desu) - Verb to be/estar