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媚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
媚
mèi
attractive, charming; to charm, to flatter
zg, 12 strokes, radical 女, rank #15086, Very Hard
媚
mèi
flatter
unknown, 12 strokes, radical 女, rank #15086, Very Hard
媚
mèi
charm
unknown, 12 strokes, radical 女, rank #15086, Very Hard
mèi(mei4)mei T4
1attractive, charming; to charm, to flatter
2flatter
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March 24, 2026
媚mèi(mei4)
The character 媚 (mèi) refers to being attractive or charming, often in a way that is appealing to others. It can also imply the act of charming or flattering someone, frequently used in contexts involving personal relationships or social interactions. It carries a nuance of seduction or allure, particularly in romantic or aesthetic contexts.
Strokes12Radical女Frequency#15086DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of charm often intertwines with traditional views of femininity, where being charming is seen as a desirable quality in women, reflecting societal values around allure and social grace.
Memory tip
Imagine a beautiful woman (媚) with a captivating smile, enchanting everyone around her. The left part of the character resembles a woman (女), while the right part suggests beauty or charm, reinforcing the meaning of attractiveness and allure.
Meanings of 媚
mèi(mei4)
1attractive, charming; to charm, to flatter
2flatter
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 媚 means.
About 媚
媚Simplified
12Strokes
女Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 媚
Podcast: 媚
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AI Study Notes for 媚
Quick Contrast
媚 (mèi) vs 甜 (tián) — choose 媚 when referring to charm or seduction, while 甜 emphasizes sweetness or pleasantness.
Usage Notes
Be cautious when using 媚 in formal contexts, as it can have a slightly negative connotation of insincerity or excessive flattery. It's commonly found in phrases like '媚眼' (mèiyǎn), meaning 'flirtatious eyes.' Remember that the fourth tone can easily be confused with other similar-sounding words.
HSK Study Tips
While 媚 is not part of HSK vocabulary, it connects with other words related to beauty and attraction, such as 美 (měi, beautiful) and 妩媚 (wǔmèi, charming). Focus on recognizing its usage in modern contexts and media to enhance understanding.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 媚 with 美 due to their similar meanings. For instance, saying '她很美' (tā hěn měi) to mean she is charming is incorrect if you want to emphasize her charm; instead, use '她很媚' (tā hěn mèi).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 媚
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How Well Do You Know 媚?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 媚 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
媚 = 女 + 眉. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 媚
IDS Structure⿰女眉
媚Full character
=
女nü3
left
眉mei2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 媚?
How to say attractive, charming; to charm, to flatter in Chinese
“attractive, charming; to charm, to flatter” in Chinese is媚mèi
The character 媚 (mèi) refers to being attractive or charming, often in a way that is appealing to others. It can also imply the act of charming or flattering someone, frequently used in contexts involving personal relationships or social interactions. It carries a nuance of seduction or allure, particularly in romantic or aesthetic contexts.
When to use 媚
Be cautious when using 媚 in formal contexts, as it can have a slightly negative connotation of insincerity or excessive flattery. It's commonly found in phrases like '媚眼' (mèiyǎn), meaning 'flirtatious eyes.' Remember that the fourth tone can easily be confused with other similar-sounding words.
媚 or something close to it
媚 (mèi) vs 甜 (tián) — choose 媚 when referring to charm or seduction, while 甜 emphasizes sweetness or pleasantness.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 媚 with 美 due to their similar meanings. For instance, saying '她很美' (tā hěn měi) to mean she is charming is incorrect if you want to emphasize her charm; instead, use '她很媚' (tā hěn mèi).
Write 媚
媚
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Practice writing 媚 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 媚
媚 carries 3 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
那是晚冬阳光明____的一天，温度只有零上几度。
It's a sunny late winter day, just a few degrees above zero.
Example Sentences for 媚 (10)
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1
那是晚冬阳光明媚的一天，温度只有零上几度。
nà shì wǎn dōng yángguāng míngmèi de yī tiān， wēndù zhǐyǒu líng shàng jǐ dù。
It's a sunny late winter day, just a few degrees above zero.
2
他离开英国，去了阳光更为明媚的法国南部。
tā líkāi Yīng guó， qù le yángguāng gèng wèi míngmèi de fǎ guó nánbù。
He left Britain for the sunnier climes of Southern France.
3
" 唔, 思嘉小姐, 让俺家迪尔茜喂媚兰小姐的孩子吧.
" wú, sī Jiā xiǎojiě, ràng ǎn jiā dí ěr qiàn wèi mèi lán xiǎojiě de háizi ba.
" Well, Miss Scarlett, mah Dilcey ten'ter Miss Melly's chile.
4
那天下午,河上很是明媚, 草地绿油油的, 树木的颜色仍旧很美.
nà tiānxià wǔ, hé shàng hěn shì míngmèi, cǎodì lǜ yóu yóu de, shùmù de yánsè réngjiù hěn měi.
The river was bright that afternoon, the meadows lush, the trees still beautiful with colour.
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Cultural Notes for 媚
🌏Cross-cultural Insight
In Western cultures, charm is often celebrated in a more straightforward way, while in Chinese culture, it can be intertwined with subtlety and the implications of social status.
Word Family of 媚
Words containing this character18
明媚míngmèibright and beautiful
媚mèiflatter
妩媚lovely嫵媚
阳光明媚the sun shines brightly (idiom)陽光明媚
谄媚to flatter諂媚
娇媚flirtatious嬌媚
献媚to pander to獻媚
媚眼charming eyes
柔媚charming
媚俗kitsch
妖媚seductive
崇洋媚外to revere everything foreign and pander to overseas powers (idiom); blind worship of foreign goods and ideas
媚笑enchanting smile
春光明媚lovely spring sunshine
媚态fawning manner媚態
媚外to fawn on foreigners
谄媚者flatterer諂媚者
伊媚儿email (loanword)伊媚兒
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 媚
What does 明媚 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 媚
媚 (mèi) refers to charm and allure, often in a seductive context, while 美 (měi) simply means beautiful.
Yes, 媚 can be used positively, but be mindful of its connotations of flattery or insincerity.
You can say '她很媚' (tā hěn mèi) to mean 'She is very charming.'
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