Example sentences
zhè这huā花zhēn真piāo漂liàng亮。
These flowers are beautiful.
nǐ你jīn今tiān天hěn很piāo漂liàng亮。
You look beautiful today.
About this word
漂 is read piào in this word and 亮 is "bright", but the two parts do not add up to "pretty", so 漂亮 is a word to learn whole. A traditional explanation traces it to silk rinsed (漂) until it gleams (亮), a path no modern speaker can see. It applies to faces, clothing, objects and work, and the last one surprises learners: 干得漂亮 means "well done", the way English says "beautifully done". 亮 goes neutral, piàoliang. Compared with 好看, the plain "good-looking" that fits almost anything, 漂亮 is a stronger compliment.
The story behind the character
漂
氵 (water) plus 票 (sound). It meant to float on water. "Pretty" is the extended meaning. Light and graceful, like ripples.
亮
A shortened 高 on top, 儿 (person) below. A person high up, with a clear view. Bright. It means "bright, clear."