# How to say “you're beautiful” in Chinese

> The mildest way to say “you're beautiful” in Chinese is 好看 (hǎo kàn), “good-looking”. The strongest is 倾国倾城 (qīng guó qīng chéng), “beauty that topples cities and nations”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

Source: https://lanlanchinese.com/how-to-say/beautiful-in-chinese (updated 2026-10-18)

1. **好看** (hǎo kàn) (strength 1/5): good-looking. Safe for anyone.
   Heard in a real video: 你比我想象的要好看。 "You're prettier than I imagined." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV-Gb0Hks0c&t=108s)
   Heard in a real video: 当你一个人长得好看。 "When someone is good-looking," (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq1yjvogrEg&t=286s)
2. **漂亮** (piào liang) (strength 2/5): pretty. The everyday compliment.
   Heard in a real video: 她好漂亮好有气质啊。 "She's so pretty and elegant." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quntIqvJLTU&t=38s)
   Heard in a real video: 她的娃娃长得很漂亮。 "Her baby is really pretty." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlTmTQbgZ7Y&t=14s)
3. **美女** (měi nǚ) (strength 3/5): beauty (lit. beautiful woman). Also how waiters greet every woman.
   Heard in a real video: 哎，美女，你的钱包。 "Hey, miss, your wallet." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dht7_sMBXxA&t=4s)
   Heard in a real video: 这位就是美女老板娘。 "This is the beautiful boss lady." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8NtJjsNJtk&t=14s)
4. **绝美** (jué měi) (strength 4/5): stunning. The photo you post twice.
5. **倾国倾城** (qīng guó qīng chéng) (strength 5/5): beauty that topples cities and nations. An ancient compliment. Use it and win.

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