漂亮 (piào liang) is a common adjective meaning 'pretty' or 'beautiful', used primarily to describe people—especially women and children—but also objects, scenery, clothing, or artwork that are visually appealing. Though written with two characters, it functions as a single lexical unit; neither 漂 nor 亮 carries its usual standalone meaning here (e.g., 漂 can mean 'to float' or 'to drift', and 亮 means 'bright' or 'clear'), so the compound must be learned as a whole.

The word is neutral in register—used in everyday speech, informal writing, and even some formal contexts—but tends to convey light, pleasant beauty rather than profound or solemn elegance. It’s frequently used in compliments ('You look pretty today!') and descriptive narration ('The garden looked especially pretty in spring'). Unlike more literary synonyms like 美丽 (měi lì), 漂亮 feels warmer and more conversational, often implying charm, freshness, or delicacy.