耽美

Chinese
covet; enjoy beautiful; beauty; America
trad. (耽美) 耽 美
simp. #(耽美) 耽 美
Literally: “to covet beauty”.

Etymology

Originally coined in Japanese as a translation of “aestheticism” (equivalent Chinese term: 唯美主義), and was applied in the description of BL-themed comics since the 1970s which at the time were mostly aesthetic and romantic. The latter meaning was later reintroduced into Chinese (as wasei kango (和製漢語)).

Pronunciation

Noun

耽美

  1. (slang, gay slang) love between men or boys, especially as a literary genre; boys' love (BL)

Derived terms
  • 耽改

See also

Japanese
Kanji in this term
耽 美
たん
Jinmeiyō		 び
Grade: 3
on’yomi

Pronunciation

Noun

耽(たん)美(び) • (tanbi) ←たんび (tanbi)?

  1. An artistic approach that identifies beauty as the highest value, which is to be absorbed in the world.

Descendants
  • → Chinese: 耽美 (dānměi)

References
  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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