美白

měibái
verb

Meanings

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

Examples

HSK 4
Xiàtiān fángshài bǐ měibái gèng zhòngyào.
In summer, sun protection is more important than whitening.
HSK 7-9
Zhè kuǎn jīnghuáyè zhǔdǎ měibái xiàoguǒ.
This serum is marketed mainly for its whitening effect.

Tips

culture
Skin-whitening is a huge category in Chinese beauty; the saying 一白遮百丑 ('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