Challenge of the month - 美

In the oracle bone inscription, the top part portrayed a sprig of flower or grass and the bottom part suggested an adult man, which indicated that a man with a decoration on his head was good looking. In ancient China, all grownup men used hairpins to tie their hair up.

Over time the shape of the inscription changed and developed, becoming similar to the character for 羊 (yáng - sheep), because 羊 represented “righteousness” and “beauty”. In the modern character, the top component is from 羊 and the bottom component is 大 (dà - big; once meant a grown up man.) both give the meaning.