<p>Perhaps you were misled by the 美, thinking, naturally, it has something to do with a thing of beauty / being beautiful and so on. Not quite so as explained below.</p>

<p>First, "十", 10, here acts as a qualifier on 全 to indicate a 10 on a whole, (全), scale of 10.     </p>

<p>In other words to describe a desired state of "perfection", "completeness", "flawless", i.e. 10 upon 10.</p>

<p>Like 他在每件事上都追求十全十美的结果 -- He seeks perfect results in all matters.</p>

<p>The 美, like "beautiful" in English usage has meanings beyond beautiful in looks; like 美妙, (wonderful), 美味, (delicious) So the 美 in 十全十美 indicates an absolutely positive, "beautiful", conclusion to whatever matters undertaken. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-09T15:13:47.403Z
2020-04-09T15:13:47.403Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>That dictionary explains the missing part at <a href="http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/worddetail/shi/645/1/1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/worddetail/shi/645/1/1</a></p>

<p>It defines 十分 "to divide into ten equal parts / very / hundred percent / completely / extremely / utterly / absolutely."  That is, ten parts out of ten.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-09T12:41:23.023Z
2020-04-09T12:41:23.023Z
Colin McLarty
<p>十成 = 100%</p>

<p>"十" implies : 'complete/ totally'   </p>

<p>全 = complete</p>

<p>美 = beautiful</p>

<p>十全十美 (totally complete, completely beautiful) = "<strong>perfect</strong>" , "f<strong>lawless</strong>"</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T06:16:34.537Z
十成 is Ten percent, as per google translate.
Kaushik Lele
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T06:24:23.690Z
Google translate got it wrong. 一成 is 10%, 九成九 is 99%. I have submitted a correction to it a moment ago.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-10T06:25:49.823Z
http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/746/ 成: [5] [n] one tenth; 10 per cent
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-09T12:43:52.487Z
2020-04-09T12:43:52.487Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
  <p>complete and beautiful/to be perfect (idiom)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Please see the things right of the /. This meaning is used when you use full idiom.</p>

<p>That mean if you see it separately, it literally mean things left of the /. 全 have the meaning of complete while 美 have the meaning of beautiful.</p>

<p>You use 十全十美 to describe perfect things.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-09T13:25:35.553Z
2020-04-09T13:25:35.553Z
000
<p>Why does 十全十美 mean complete and beautiful ?
e.g. this dictionary meaning.
<a href="http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/#sk=%E5%8D%81%E5%85%A8%E5%8D%81%E7%BE%8E&amp;svt=pinyin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/#sk=%E5%8D%81%E5%85%A8%E5%8D%81%E7%BE%8E&amp;svt=pinyin</a></p>

<meaning>
Why does 十全十美 mean complete and beautiful?
# Why does 十全十美 mean complete and beautiful?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-09)

Why does 十全十美 mean complete and beautiful ?
e.g. this dictionary meaning.
<http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/#sk=%E5%8D%81%E5%85%A8%E5%8D%81%E7%BE%8E&svt=pinyin>

**Tags:** meaning

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-09. Score: 1

Perhaps you were misled by the 美, thinking, naturally, it has something to do with a thing of beauty / being beautiful and so on. Not quite so as explained below.

First, "十", 10, here acts as a qualifier on 全 to indicate a 10 on a whole, (全), scale of 10.

In other words to describe a desired state of "perfection", "completeness", "flawless", i.e. 10 upon 10.

Like 他在每件事上都追求十全十美的结果 -- He seeks perfect results in all matters.

The 美, like "beautiful" in English usage has meanings beyond beautiful in looks; like 美妙, (wonderful), 美味, (delicious) So the 美 in 十全十美 indicates an absolutely positive, "beautiful", conclusion to whatever matters undertaken.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2020-04-09. Score: 0

That dictionary explains the missing part at <http://dictionary.writtenchinese.com/worddetail/shi/645/1/1>

It defines 十分 "to divide into ten equal parts / very / hundred percent / completely / extremely / utterly / absolutely." That is, ten parts out of ten.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-04-09. Score: 0

十成 = 100%

"十" implies : 'complete/ totally'

全 = complete

美 = beautiful

十全十美 (totally complete, completely beautiful) = "**perfect**" , "f**lawless**"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 十成 is Ten percent, as per google translate.  
> **username_3**: Google translate got it wrong. 一成 is 10%, 九成九 is 99%. I have submitted a correction to it a moment ago.  
> **username_3**: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/746/ 成: [5] [n] one tenth; 10 per cent  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-04-09. Score: 0

> complete and beautiful/to be perfect (idiom)

Please see the things right of the /. This meaning is used when you use full idiom.

That mean if you see it separately, it literally mean things left of the /. 全 have the meaning of complete while 美 have the meaning of beautiful.

You use 十全十美 to describe perfect things.


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