假面具 (jiǎ miàn jù) — mask (physical, e.g. a theatrical mask); façade…

Definition

A word for both a physical mask (worn on the face) and, figuratively, a false front or pretense someone hides behind.

noun

mask (physical, e.g. a theatrical mask)façadefalse front (figurative, meaning a pretense or disguise)

Measure word · 个

假面具，。
Tā zài jù huì shí dài le yí gè jiǎ miàn jù, shuí yě rèn bù chū tā.
He wore a mask at the party, and no one recognized him.
，假面具。
Tā biǎo miàn shàng hěn yǒu hǎo, qí shí nà zhǐ shì tā de jiǎ miàn jù.
He seems friendly on the surface, but that's just his façade.
，假面具，。
Shí jiān jiǔ le, tā zhōng yú zhāi xià le jiǎ miàn jù, lù chū le zhēn miàn mù.
After a long time, he finally dropped the façade and revealed his true colors.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

面具mask

偏正Modifier + head

假面具 pairs 假, 'false', with 面具, 'mask', to mean a false mask or pretense.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻叚假

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rénperson

Sound part声符shēngfú

叚

叚jiǎ假jiǎ

Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

具 pairs 廾 (two hands) with 鼎 (a cauldron), showing hands working with a cauldron to prepare food.