How to Write 媚 (mèi) — Meaning “Charming; to fawn on; to flatter.”

Picture a woman with beautifully arched eyebrows (眉) who uses her charming smile to flatter someone. The eyebrows are the key visual clue that links to the meaning of charm and flattery.

The left radical 女 should be written narrow and slightly slanted. The right part 眉 has a top 尸 shape — do not make it too wide — and be careful to include the horizontal stroke inside the 目 component. A common mistake is leaving out that inner line.

姬 (jī) refers to a noblewoman or concubine and has a different right side (臣+口). 娉 (pīng) describes graceful movement. 媚 specifically means charming or fawn on, so it focuses on active flattery rather than social rank or physical grace.

媚 appears in words like 明媚 (bright and beautiful scenery), 妩媚 (enchanting charm), and 谄媚 (toady flattery, often negative). It is common in literary descriptions and can carry either a positive or negative tone depending on context.

Common words containing 媚 include: 明媚 (míng mèi) — bright and beautiful (scenery or sunshine); 妩媚 (wǔ mèi) — charming; enchanting; 谄媚 (chǎn mèi) — To flatter; to toady.