Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== měimǎn: 美满 - Blissful, Happy, Perfect (of life, marriage, etc.) ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** meiman meaning, 美满, Chinese word for happy marriage, blissful life in Chinese, complete happiness, what does meiman mean, Chinese wedding blessing, HSK meiman, meiman vs xingfu, meiman vs yuanman * **Summary for Search Engines:** Learn the meaning of the Chinese word 美满 (měimǎn), a term that goes beyond simple "happiness." Discover how it describes a state of blissful, complete, and perfect satisfaction, especially in the context of family, marriage, and life. This page offers a deep dive into its cultural significance, practical usage with 10 example sentences, and nuances for English-speaking learners. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** měimǎn * **Part of Speech:** Adjective * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 * **Concise Definition:** Describes a life, marriage, or situation that is perfectly happy, harmonious, and complete. * **In a Nutshell:** `美满` is not just "happy"; it's a deep and profound state of contentment. Think of it as "beautifully complete" or "blissfully full." It's the ideal state for a family or a marriage, implying harmony, satisfaction, and a life without major regrets. While you can be `开心 (kāixīn)` for a moment, a `美满` life is a long-term achievement. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **美 (měi):** This character means **beautiful, good, or pleasing**. Its ancient form is thought to depict a person wearing an elaborate headdress, symbolizing beauty and status. It's the "beautiful" part of the word. * **满 (mǎn):** This character means **full, complete, or satisfied**. It's composed of the water radical `氵` on the left and a phonetic component on the right that suggests fullness. It's the "full" or "complete" part of the word. Together, **美 (beautiful) + 满 (full) = 美满 (měimǎn)**. The word literally means "beautifully full." This combination creates a powerful image of a life that is not just happy, but also complete, harmonious, and aesthetically pleasing in its perfection. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== In Chinese culture, `美满` is a cornerstone of life aspirations, deeply rooted in social and familial values. It's a goal that reflects a collective sense of well-being, rather than just individual happiness. * **Comparison to "Happily Ever After":** In the West, "happily ever after" often evokes a fairytale romance, an end point after a series of adventures. `美满`, however, is more grounded and practical. It's a state of being that is actively built and maintained through effort, fulfilling social roles (being a good spouse, parent, child), and maintaining harmony (`和睦, hémù`) within the family. It's less about a fantasy ending and more about a real, sustainable, and perfect balance in life. * **The Centrality of Family:** The concept is almost inseparable from family (`家庭, jiātíng`) and marriage (`婚姻, hūnyīn`). A `美满` life traditionally involves a stable career, a harmonious marriage, and healthy, successful children. This reflects the Confucian value that a well-ordered family is the foundation of a well-ordered society. Achieving a `美满` family life is one of the highest forms of success. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== `美满` is a positive, somewhat formal word that carries significant weight. * **Weddings and Blessings:** It is one of the most common and cherished blessings for newlyweds. You will hear it constantly at weddings and in greeting cards. The phrase "祝你们婚姻美满 (Zhù nǐmen hūnyīn měimǎn)" - "Wishing you a blissful marriage" is standard. * **Describing Life:** People use it to describe an ideal life situation. If someone has a good job, a loving family, and healthy kids, a friend might say, "你的生活真美满啊 (Nǐ de shēnghuó zhēn měimǎn a)" - "Your life is so wonderfully complete!" * **Literature and Media:** In songs, TV dramas, and novels, `美满` is often used to describe the ideal conclusion for a character's journey—achieving a perfect and happy family life. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** 祝你们新婚快乐，生活**美满**！ * Pinyin: Zhù nǐmen xīnhūn kuàilè, shēnghuó **měimǎn**! * English: Wishing you a happy wedding and a blissful life! * Analysis: This is a classic wedding blessing. It combines the immediate happiness of the wedding (`新婚快乐`) with the long-term wish for a complete and happy life (`生活美满`). * **Example 2:** 她有一个**美满**的家庭，丈夫体贴，孩子可爱。 * Pinyin: Tā yǒu yí ge **měimǎn** de jiātíng, zhàngfu tǐtiē, háizi kě'ài. * English: She has a perfect family; her husband is considerate and her children are lovely. * Analysis: This sentence perfectly illustrates what constitutes a `美满` family from a common perspective—a caring spouse and wonderful children. * **Example 3:** 每个人都希望自己的人生是**美满**的。 * Pinyin: Měi ge rén dōu xīwàng zìjǐ de rénshēng shì **měimǎn** de. * English: Everyone hopes their life will be happy and complete. * Analysis: This shows `美满` as a universal aspiration for one's entire life journey (`人生`). * **Example 4:** 故事的结局很**美满**，王子和公主幸福地生活在一起。 * Pinyin: Gùshi de jiéjú hěn **měimǎn**, wángzǐ hé gōngzhǔ xìngfú de shēnghuó zài yīqǐ. * English: The story had a perfect ending; the prince and princess lived happily ever after. * Analysis: Here, `美满` is used to describe a "happily ever after" ending, highlighting its connection to ideal, fairytale-like conclusions. * **Example 5:** 尽管他们很富有，但他们的婚姻并不**美满**。 * Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn tāmen hěn fùyǒu, dàn tāmen de hūnyīn bìng bù **měimǎn**. * English: Although they were very rich, their marriage was not a happy one. * Analysis: This example shows that material wealth doesn't guarantee a `美満` life, emphasizing that the term relates to emotional and relational fulfillment. * **Example 6:** 父母最大的心愿就是看到子女有一个**美满**的归宿。 * Pinyin: Fùmǔ zuì dà de xīnyuàn jiùshì kàndào zǐnǚ yǒu yí ge **měimǎn** de guīsù. * English: Parents' greatest wish is to see their children find a happy and stable home (a good marriage). * Analysis: `归宿 (guīsù)` means a final home or destination, and in this context, it refers to a good marriage. This sentence underscores the deep cultural importance placed on children achieving a `美满` family life. * **Example 7:** 为了给孩子一个**美满**的童年，她付出了很多。 * Pinyin: Wèile gěi háizi yí ge **měimǎn** de tóngnián, tā fùchūle hěn duō. * English: In order to give her child a perfect childhood, she sacrificed a lot. * Analysis: `美满` can also describe a period of life, like childhood (`童年`), implying it was complete, happy, and free from hardship. * **Example 8:** 他们的爱情故事有了一个**美满**的结果。 * Pinyin: Tāmen de àiqíng gùshi yǒu le yí ge **měimǎn** de jiéguǒ. * English: Their love story came to a blissful conclusion. * Analysis: Similar to "ending" (`结局`), `结果 (jiéguǒ)` means "result" or "outcome." This is another common way to talk about relationships reaching a perfect state. * **Example 9:** 事业的成功和家庭的**美满**，他都得到了。 * Pinyin: Shìyè de chénggōng hé jiātíng de **měimǎn**, tā dōu dédàole. * English: He achieved both career success and a blissful family life. * Analysis: This sentence presents the two pillars of a successful life in modern Chinese society: a good career and a happy family, with `美满` perfectly describing the latter. * **Example 10:** 只有内心平和，才能拥有**美满**的生活。 * Pinyin: Zhǐyǒu nèixīn pínghé, cáinéng yōngyǒu **měimǎn** de shēnghuó. * English: Only with inner peace can one have a truly fulfilling life. * Analysis: This sentence adds a philosophical layer, suggesting that `美满` is not just about external circumstances but also comes from an internal state of peace and contentment. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Mistake 1: Using `美满` for temporary feelings.** * **Incorrect:** 我今天很**美满**。 (Wǒ jīntiān hěn měimǎn.) * **Why it's wrong:** `美满` describes a long-term, stable state like a marriage or a life. It's not a fleeting emotion. For feeling happy *today*, you should use `开心 (kāixīn)` or `高兴 (gāoxìng)`. * **Correct:** 我今天很**开心**。 (Wǒ jīntiān hěn kāixīn.) - I'm very happy today. * **Mistake 2: Confusing `美满` with `完美 (wánměi)`.** * While both can be translated as "perfect," their usage is very different. `美满` is almost exclusively for life, family, marriage, and relationships. It has a warm, emotional connotation. * `完美 (wánměi)` is a more general, sometimes clinical, term for perfection. It can be used for objects, plans, performances, or abstract ideas. * **Correct:** 这个计划很**完美**。(Zhège jìhuà hěn wánměi.) - This plan is perfect. * **Incorrect:** 这个计划很**美满**。(Zhège jìhuà hěn měimǎn.) * **Correct:** 他们的婚姻很**美满**。(Tāmen de hūnyīn hěn měimǎn.) - Their marriage is blissful. * **Possible but less common:** 他们的婚姻很**完美**。(Tāmen de hūnyīn hěn wánměi.) - This sounds a bit more detached, like an objective observation of perfection rather than a statement of warm, lived happiness. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[幸福]] (xìngfú) - Happiness; well-being. A very close synonym. `幸福` is a broader term for happiness, while `美满` specifically emphasizes the *completeness* and *perfection* of that happiness, especially in a family setting. * [[圆满]] (yuánmǎn) - Satisfactory; complete; successful (of an event). The character `圆` means "round," implying a perfect closing of a circle. It's often used for the successful conclusion of projects, events, or performances. It is less emotional than `美满`. * [[开心]] (kāixīn) - Happy; glad. Describes a momentary, cheerful feeling. The opposite of the deep, enduring state of `美满`. * [[快乐]] (kuàilè) - Happy; joyful. A general-purpose word for happiness, often used in set phrases like "Happy Birthday" (生日快乐). Broader than `开心` but still a feeling, not a state of being. * [[和睦]] (hémù) - Harmonious. Describes peaceful and amicable relationships, especially within a family. A `和睦` family is a prerequisite for a `美满` family. * [[家庭]] (jiātíng) - Family; household. The primary social unit to which the term `美满` is applied. * [[婚姻]] (hūnyīn) - Marriage. A core life event that is wished to be `美满`. * [[完美]] (wánměi) - Perfect. A more general and less emotional term for perfection, used for plans, objects, and skills rather than the lived experience of a happy life.