端 麗(たんれい)

たんれい

na-adjective

handsome; graceful; refined

1. handsome; graceful; beautiful and well-proportioned

Describes an appearance that is both beautiful and well-balanced. Often used for people with refined, elegant features, or for things with a clean, polished beauty.

端麗(たんれい)な顔立(かおだ)ちの女性(じょせい)だ。

She is a woman with graceful features.

容姿(ようし)端麗(たんれい)な俳優(はいゆう)が話題(わだい)になった。

A handsome actor became the talk of the town.

この日本酒(にほんしゅ)は端麗(たんれい)な味(あじ)わいで飲(の)みやすい。

This sake has a clean, refined flavor and is easy to drink.

端麗(たんれい) describes beauty that is well-proportioned, refined, and elegant. A literary and formal word.

Common expressions

容姿(ようし)端麗(たんれい): beautiful appearance, good-looking (a set four-character phrase, very common)
端麗(たんれい)な顔立(かおだ)ち: graceful, well-proportioned features

Sake terminology

端麗(たんれい)辛口(からくち): clean and dry (describes sake with a crisp, refined flavor)
淡麗(たんれい): sometimes written with this kanji in sake contexts, emphasizing lightness

Register

Literary and formal. Rarely used in casual conversation. Most commonly encountered in the compound 容姿(ようし)端麗(たんれい), which appears in written descriptions, formal contexts, and job/dating profile language.

Similar words

美(うつく)しい: beautiful (general, common word)
麗(うるわ)しい: beautiful, lovely (literary)
端正(たんせい): neat and orderly in appearance (similar formality, slightly different nuance emphasizing orderliness)

Related Words

Compare: 美(うつく)しい (beautiful)

Compare: 麗(うるわ)しい (beautiful, lovely)

Compare: 端正(たんせい) (neat and orderly in appearance)

Homophone: 淡麗(たんれい) (light and clean)

general

Added 2026.3.23 19:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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