Beautiful in Japanese: 美しい, 綺麗 and かっこいい
“Beautiful” in Japanese is three different words. 綺麗 (kirei) — beautiful and neat, the most common. 美しい (utsukushii) — beautiful, in a lofty style: about nature, music, deeds. かっこいい (kakkoii) — “cool, stylish,” about style and men. The character for beauty is 美 (bi), 9 strokes.
Japanese beauty is divided by register. 綺麗 is said about a tidy room and about a woman. 美しい — about a sunset and about something worthy of silence. かっこいい — about someone who looks good. Three words, and you cannot substitute one for another.
The character of beauty
美 — значение: beauty, beautiful — онъёми: ビ、ミ — кунъёми: うつく.しい — 9 штрих(ов). 9 strokes. Click “Show order” — the strokes will go as in handwriting.
What the sign consists of
On top is 羊 “sheep”, on the bottom is 大 “big”. Ancient logic: a large, well-fed sheep is good, and therefore beautiful. The sign is read “bi” in words (美人 bijin — beautiful woman) and “utsukushii” as an adjective.
How to say “beautiful” in different situations
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 綺麗 | kirei · kirei | Beautiful; clean, neat |
| 美しい | utsukushii · utsukushii | Beautiful (in a lofty style) |
| かっこいい | kakkoii · kakkoii | Cool, stylish |
| 美人 | bijin · bijin | Beautiful woman |
| 美味しい | oishii · oishii | Delicious (the same sign 美 — “beautiful taste”) |
| 素敵 | suteki · suteki | Wonderful, delightful |
| 美術 | bijutsu · bijutsu | Fine arts |
Why “delicious” is written with “beautiful”
美味しい consists of 美 “beautiful” and 味 “taste” — literally “beautiful taste.” The word is so frequent that it is usually written in kana: おいしい. The logic is the same as in the Russian “красиво поесть” (to eat beautifully), only in Japanese it is frozen in the word itself.
Write 美 yourself
Trace the sign along the guides — the system will evaluate each stroke.
FAQ
- How to say “beautiful” in Japanese?
- 綺麗 (kirei) — general “beautiful, neat.” 美しい (utsukushii) — beautiful, in a lofty style. かっこいい (kakkoii) — cool, stylish.
- What is the difference between 綺麗 and 美しい?
- 綺麗 is everyday and broad, suitable for both a room and a person. 美しい is solemn: about nature, art, deeds. In conversation, 綺麗 is more often heard.
- Which character means beauty?
- 美 — 9 strokes, read “bi” in words (美人 bijin “beautiful woman”) and “utsukushii” as an adjective. It consists of “sheep” 羊 and “big” 大.
- How to tell a man that he is beautiful?
- かっこいい (kakkoii) — “stylish, cool.” 綺麗 about a man would sound strange, and 美しい is too lofty for conversation.
Updated: 2026-07-25