Cute, pretty & handsome in Chinese 夸人好看
kuā rén hǎokàn
Good-looking in Chinese is 好看 (hǎo kàn).
Also searched for as: beautiful, pretty, cute, handsome, gorgeous, good-looking.
Compliments that will make anyone smile. 15 essential cute, pretty & handsome words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Complimenting someone's looks in Chinese starts with 好看 (hǎo kàn), which works for anyone, and 漂亮 (piào liang) for a woman or a beautiful thing. Men are 帅 (shuài), and cute people, pets and things are 可爱 (kě ài). Modern slang adds 颜值 (yán zhí), literally a "looks score", and 我的菜 (wǒ de cài), "my type", for when someone is exactly what you like.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 好看 | hǎo kàn | good-looking |
| 可爱 | kě ài | cute |
| 漂亮 | piào liang | pretty; beautiful |
| 美女 | měi nǚ | beautiful woman; (as address) miss |
| 帅 | shuài | handsome |
| 帅哥 | shuài gē | handsome guy |
| 颜值 | yán zhí | looks |
| 气质 | qì zhì | presence; elegance |
| 小鲜肉 | xiǎo xiān ròu | young heartthrob |
| 萌 | méng | adorable |
| 性感 | xìng gǎn | sexy |
| 男神 | nán shén | dream guy; heartthrob |
| 女神 | nǚ shén | goddess; dream girl |
| 高富帅 | gāo fù shuài | tall, rich and handsome |
| 我的菜 | wǒ de cài | my type |
Usage tips
- 帅 (shuài) is mainly for men; for women, use 漂亮 (piào liang) or 美 (měi). Said of a woman, 帅 means "cool" or "stylish", for example with a sharp haircut.
- 美女 (měi nǚ) and 帅哥 (shuài gē) are often used just to get a stranger's attention, for instance in shops or restaurants, and don't necessarily mean you find them attractive.
- Rather than commenting on someone's face, a classier compliment is 很有气质 (hěn yǒu qì zhì), "has real presence and elegance". 性感 (xìng gǎn) is direct, so keep it for close friends or partners.
Common mistakes
- Learners describe a man as 漂亮 (piào liang), which sounds feminine or teasing. Use 帅 (shuài) or 好看 (hǎo kàn) instead.
- 颜值 (yán zhí) is a noun, a looks "score", so it's described as high or low: 他颜值很高 (tā yán zhí hěn gāo). Saying 他很颜值 is wrong.
Mini dialogue
- A你看那个男生，好帅啊！Nǐ kàn nà ge nán shēng, hǎo shuài a!Look at that guy, he's so handsome!
- B颜值是挺高的，不过不是我的菜。Yán zhí shì tǐng gāo de, bù guò bù shì wǒ de cài.He's good-looking, but he's not my type.
- A那你喜欢什么样的？Nà nǐ xǐ huan shén me yàng de?So what kind of guy do you like?
- B我喜欢有气质的，笑起来可爱的。Wǒ xǐ huan yǒu qì zhì de, xiào qǐ lái kě ài de.I like someone with presence, who's cute when he smiles.
Example sentences
- 你穿这件衣服很好看。You look great in that.
- 你笑起来好可爱。You're so cute when you smile.
- 你今天真漂亮！You look really beautiful today!
- 美女，请问这里有人坐吗？Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?
- 你男朋友好帅啊！Your boyfriend is so handsome!
- 那个帅哥是谁？Who's that handsome guy?
- 他的颜值太高了。He's seriously good-looking.
- 她不算特别美，但很有气质。She's not stunning, but she has real presence.
- 现在的电视剧里全是小鲜肉。TV dramas these days are full of young heartthrobs.
- 你生气的样子好萌。You're adorable when you're angry.
- 这条裙子有点性感。This dress is a bit sexy.
- 他是我们学校的男神。He's the heartthrob of our school.
- 她是很多男生心中的女神。She's a lot of guys' dream girl.
- 她想找个高富帅。She wants a tall, rich, handsome guy.
- 他正好是我的菜。He's exactly my type.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Cute, pretty & handsome speaking island has 8 everyday questions about cute, pretty & handsome to prepare your own answers to.