媚 mèi attractive
attractive; charming; to charm; to flatter
How to remember 媚: 女 woman + 眉 eyebrows = attractive. The woman at the salon shapes my sister's eyebrows before the wedding, and the groom gasps that she looks attractive.
Component breakdown
媚 = 女 woman + 眉 eyebrows
- 女 woman
- 眉 eyebrows
The woman at the salon shapes my sister's eyebrows before the wedding, and the groom gasps that she looks attractive.
How it is used
- Charming/alluring, but also fawning: 妩媚 (wǔmèi) enchanting, 明媚 (míngmèi) bright and lovely (春光明媚 glorious spring scenery), 谄媚 (chǎnmèi) to flatter/toady.
- Note the split: 明媚 is purely positive of scenery, while 媚 applied to a person's manner (献媚) suggests obsequiousness.