Additional information about 艷
說文解字:
- Criteria
- SEXY
1. The general noun is sè 色 "female beauty" which seems to be used only in nominal functions.
2. The specific "adjective" would be yàn 艷 / 豔 which comes as close to "sexy" as any ancient Chinese word. ZUO: 美而艷
3. Jiǎo 姣 (also applied to men) and jiāo 嬌 are less dramatic than yàn 艷 and refer to personal charm as well beauty as such.
4. Yǎo tiǎo 窈窕 is the standard poetic cliche word for female attractiveness.
5. Mèi 媚 "seductively beautiful" includes an idea of deliberate acting or deliberate use of make-up to please someone. See FLATTER.
6. Kuā 姱 "lovely" is a highly poetic SHI and CC word of little currency in prose writing.