美术 (měi shù) literally means 'beautiful art' — 美 (měi) means 'beautiful' or 'aesthetic', and 术 (shù) means 'art', 'skill', or 'technique'. Together, they refer to the broad field of fine arts, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and other visual art forms created primarily for aesthetic expression rather than practical function.

In Chinese educational and cultural contexts, 美术 commonly appears in school curricula (e.g., 美术课 'art class'), museum names (e.g., 美术馆 'art museum'), and professional titles (e.g., 美术老师 'art teacher'). It emphasizes artistic skill, creativity, and visual culture, distinguishing it from design (设计) or craft (工艺), which may prioritize utility. While often translated as 'fine arts', it’s more inclusive than Western 'fine arts' in everyday usage — sometimes covering illustration or applied visual arts in non-academic settings.