美若天仙

měiruòtiānxiān
idiom #32,861

Meanings

  1. 1 beautiful as a celestial maiden
  2. 2 stunningly gorgeous
  3. 3 of a beauty fit for the immortals

Examples

Xīnniáng měiruòtiānxiān, suǒyǒu kèrén dōu kàndāi le.
The bride was beautiful as a celestial maiden; all the guests were stunned.
Tā shēn chuān bái shā, měiruòtiānxiān.
Wearing a white veil, she looked as beautiful as a fairy.

Tips

usage
美若天仙 is a stock four-character compliment used almost exclusively for women. The structure is (beautiful) + (like) + 天仙 (heavenly immortal). Common in romance novels, period dramas, and wedding speeches; using it in everyday conversation can sound deliberately flowery or tongue-in-cheek.
culture
天仙 refers to female immortals of Daoist mythology — 嫦娥 (Chang'e, the moon goddess) being the archetype. Comparing a woman to one is the Chinese equivalent of "goddess-like" in English.

Stroke Order

měi
ruò
tiān
xiān