美白

měibái
verb

Meanings

  1. 1 to whiten (skin or teeth)
  2. 2 skin-whitening (as a product category)

Examples

Zhè kuǎn jīnghuáyè zhǔdǎ měibái xiàoguǒ.
This serum is marketed mainly for its whitening effect.
Xiàtiān fángshài bǐ měibái gèng zhòngyào.
In summer, sun protection is more important than whitening.

Tips

culture
Skin-whitening is a huge category in Chinese beauty; the saying ('one whiteness hides a hundred flaws') captures the aesthetic. Modern products focus on brightening and reducing pigmentation rather than literal bleaching.
usage
Used attributively as a product descriptor: 美白精华 (whitening serum), 美白面膜 (whitening mask), 美白牙膏 (whitening toothpaste).

Stroke Order

měi
bái