The Japanese kanji for beauty: 美
漢字 Kanji 31 of 40
The kanji for beauty: 美
A big (大) sheep (羊): to the ancients, a fine, fat sheep was beauty.
美
- Meaning
- beauty
- Kun reading
- utsuku(shii) (Japanese)
- On reading
- BI (from Chinese)
- Strokes
- 9
書き順Stroke order
美 is written in 9 strokes, in this order. The red line is the new stroke at each step. Japanese is written top to bottom and left to right, and the order matters: it is what makes handwriting flow.
Stroke data from KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, CC BY-SA 3.0.
使い方In everyday Japanese
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 美術 | bijutsu | fine art |
| 美人 | bijin | a beautiful person |
敬意Wearing it
Beauty. Safe on its own; it reads as an idea rather than a boast.
Every kanji in 5C5V Studio is checked for meaning and context. Read our Respect Notes.
工房 Made just for you
Wear 美
Open 5C5V Studio, pick 美 from the kanji, choose a tee, hoodie, cap or beanie, and see it mocked up before you buy. Printed or embroidered, made to order.