单面 (dān miàn) — one side; single face | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Describes something that has only one side or one usable surface, like paper, tape, or mirrors. Pairs with words such as 印刷, 胶带, and 镜.

adjective

one sidesingle face

Examples

单面。
Zhè zhāng zhǐ shì dān miàn yìn shuā de.
This sheet of paper is printed on one side.
单面。
dān miàn Jìng zhǐ néng kàn dào yí miàn.
A one-sided mirror only shows one side.
单面。
Qǐng yòng dān miàn jiāo dài gù dìng.
Please secure it with single-sided tape.

Origin

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.

单 gives single and 面 gives side, so the whole means having only one side.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

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.

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