• 美うつくしい — beautiful
• 美人びじん — beautiful person
• 美貌びぼう — beauty; good looks
• 美容びよう — beauty care
• 美術びじゅつ — fine arts
• 美味おいしい — delicious

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The character 美 combines the radicals for 羊ひつじ (sheep) and 大 おお (big), suggesting a large, plump sheep — a traditional symbol of beauty and abundance. Over time, it came to represent aesthetic beauty, elegance, and excellence.