makes you drool. Mainly used in reference to food but can also be said of a girl.
眉来眼去 méi lái yǎn qù ( may lie yen chee )
Literally “eyebrows coming and eyes going.” Describes flirtatious eye contact or just flirting in general.
电眼 diàn yǎn ( dyinn yen )
Literally “electric eyes.” A popular term among young people to describe beguiling eyes—that is, eyes that give you an electric spark.
过电 guò diàn ( gwuh dyinn ) or 放电 fàng diàn ( fahng dyinn )
To have an electric shock (in the sense of being attracted to someone). Literally “release electricity” and “pass electricity,” respectively. Can also mean to knock the table with your glass when toasting, instead of clinking glasses.
来电 lái diàn ( lie dyinn )
Romantic spark. Literally “electricity comes.” Not having any chemistry would be 不来电 bù lái diàn ( boo lie dyinn ), literally “electricity doesn’t come.”
撒娇 sǎjiāo ( sah jow )
To throw a fit, to act like a brat, to act coquettishly. The key thing to note in this definition is that acting coquettishly—that is, acting in a way that attracts male attention—is synonymous with acting like a brat.
耍单儿 shuǎ dānr ( shwah dar )
Literally “play alone,” meaning “single” or “unmarried,” but also Beijing slang for dressing skimpily even though it’s cold out, just to look cute.
漂亮 piàoliang ( pyow lyahng )
Pretty. Can be said of someone who’s actually pretty, like the girl next door, but is also said in response to anything impressive or amazing. This word is often used in sports—when a soccer player scores a goal, a westerner might say “Nice!” but in Chinese you often hear the sports commentators yell, “Pretty!”
美 mĕi ( may ) or 美丽 mĕilì ( may lee )
Beautiful, good-looking. Can describe both people and things.
美女 mĕi nǚ ( may nee )
Beautiful girl, beautiful woman. Often used as a flattering term of address.
甜 tián ( tyinn )
Sweet. Can describe either food or girls. Its meaning differs from the English meaning “extremely nice and thoughtful” in that it also connotes “cutesy.” For example, girls from Taiwan are described by mainlanders as sounding very tián because their accents sound girlish and cute to Chinese outside of Taiwan. A sweet girl is a 甜妞 tián nīu ( tyinn nyoo ).
可爱 kě’ài ( kuh aye )
Cute.
卡哇依 kǎwāyī ( kuh why ee )
Based on the Japanese word kawaii , meaning “cute” or “cutesy.” Tends to be used more often in Taiwan and other areas more strongly influenced by Japanese culture.
娃娃 wáwa ( wah wah —that should be a short a ; rhymes with “tra-la-la”)
Cute girl. Literally “baby” or “doll.”
绝色 juésè ( dreh suh )
An extremely beautiful appearance (used as a noun). Literally “special color.” Used frequently on the Internet.
靓 liàng ( lyahng )
Pretty or handsome. Literally “light” or “glowing” or “bright.” A pretty girl is a 靓女 liàng nǚ ( lyahng nee ), literally “glowing girl,” and a handsome young man is a 靓仔 liàng zǎi , literally “pretty boy.” Used in southern China.
迷人 mírén ( me ren )
Fascinating, enchanting, charming, tempting (usually describing a female). Literally “attracts people.”
丰满 fēngmǎn ( fung mahn )
Voluptuous, buxom. Literally “plentiful and full.”
身材 shēncái ( shen tsigh )
Figure, body. Literally “body shape.”
条 tiáo ( tyow )
Figure, shape (usually describing women). Ordinarily tiáo is a word that indicates reference to anything with a long and thin shape, like a stick or a noodle.
性感 xìnggǎn ( sheeng gahn )
Sexy.
妖媚 yāomèi ( yow may )
Sexy, enchanting. Literally “evil charming.”
妖里妖气 yāo lǐ yāo qì ( yow lee yow chee )
Seductive and bewitching, sexy.
妖精 yāojing ( yow jing
眉来眼去 méi lái yǎn qù ( may lie yen chee )
Literally “eyebrows coming and eyes going.” Describes flirtatious eye contact or just flirting in general.
电眼 diàn yǎn ( dyinn yen )
Literally “electric eyes.” A popular term among young people to describe beguiling eyes—that is, eyes that give you an electric spark.
过电 guò diàn ( gwuh dyinn ) or 放电 fàng diàn ( fahng dyinn )
To have an electric shock (in the sense of being attracted to someone). Literally “release electricity” and “pass electricity,” respectively. Can also mean to knock the table with your glass when toasting, instead of clinking glasses.
来电 lái diàn ( lie dyinn )
Romantic spark. Literally “electricity comes.” Not having any chemistry would be 不来电 bù lái diàn ( boo lie dyinn ), literally “electricity doesn’t come.”
撒娇 sǎjiāo ( sah jow )
To throw a fit, to act like a brat, to act coquettishly. The key thing to note in this definition is that acting coquettishly—that is, acting in a way that attracts male attention—is synonymous with acting like a brat.
耍单儿 shuǎ dānr ( shwah dar )
Literally “play alone,” meaning “single” or “unmarried,” but also Beijing slang for dressing skimpily even though it’s cold out, just to look cute.
漂亮 piàoliang ( pyow lyahng )
Pretty. Can be said of someone who’s actually pretty, like the girl next door, but is also said in response to anything impressive or amazing. This word is often used in sports—when a soccer player scores a goal, a westerner might say “Nice!” but in Chinese you often hear the sports commentators yell, “Pretty!”
美 mĕi ( may ) or 美丽 mĕilì ( may lee )
Beautiful, good-looking. Can describe both people and things.
美女 mĕi nǚ ( may nee )
Beautiful girl, beautiful woman. Often used as a flattering term of address.
甜 tián ( tyinn )
Sweet. Can describe either food or girls. Its meaning differs from the English meaning “extremely nice and thoughtful” in that it also connotes “cutesy.” For example, girls from Taiwan are described by mainlanders as sounding very tián because their accents sound girlish and cute to Chinese outside of Taiwan. A sweet girl is a 甜妞 tián nīu ( tyinn nyoo ).
可爱 kě’ài ( kuh aye )
Cute.
卡哇依 kǎwāyī ( kuh why ee )
Based on the Japanese word kawaii , meaning “cute” or “cutesy.” Tends to be used more often in Taiwan and other areas more strongly influenced by Japanese culture.
娃娃 wáwa ( wah wah —that should be a short a ; rhymes with “tra-la-la”)
Cute girl. Literally “baby” or “doll.”
绝色 juésè ( dreh suh )
An extremely beautiful appearance (used as a noun). Literally “special color.” Used frequently on the Internet.
靓 liàng ( lyahng )
Pretty or handsome. Literally “light” or “glowing” or “bright.” A pretty girl is a 靓女 liàng nǚ ( lyahng nee ), literally “glowing girl,” and a handsome young man is a 靓仔 liàng zǎi , literally “pretty boy.” Used in southern China.
迷人 mírén ( me ren )
Fascinating, enchanting, charming, tempting (usually describing a female). Literally “attracts people.”
丰满 fēngmǎn ( fung mahn )
Voluptuous, buxom. Literally “plentiful and full.”
身材 shēncái ( shen tsigh )
Figure, body. Literally “body shape.”
条 tiáo ( tyow )
Figure, shape (usually describing women). Ordinarily tiáo is a word that indicates reference to anything with a long and thin shape, like a stick or a noodle.
性感 xìnggǎn ( sheeng gahn )
Sexy.
妖媚 yāomèi ( yow may )
Sexy, enchanting. Literally “evil charming.”
妖里妖气 yāo lǐ yāo qì ( yow lee yow chee )
Seductive and bewitching, sexy.
妖精 yāojing ( yow jing
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