TongTong
Sign in

南面 (nán miàn) — south side, southern face (of a building, mountain, etc.); the south (direction, area); (historical) the emperor's position; the throne

Definition

Literally 'south side / the south' (direction, area, or the southern face of a building or mountain). Historically, 'to face south' (南面) was the emperor's stance when ruling — a classical image of sovereign authority.

noun
south sidesouthern face (of a building, mountain, etc.)the south (direction, area)(historical) the emperor's positionthe throne

Examples

  • 南面。
    Zhè dòng lóu de nán miàn yǒu yí gè dà yáng tái.
    The south side of this building has a large balcony.
  • 南面。
    Chéng shì de nán miàn zhèng zài jiàn shè xīn de shāng yè qū.
    A new commercial district is being built in the south of the city.
  • 南面，。
    Gǔ dài dì wáng nán miàn ér zhì, xiàng zhēng quán lì.
    Ancient emperors faced south to rule, symbolizing their authority.

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.

南nánsouth
面miànside

南 gives the direction and 面 the side or face, making the southern side.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

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.

Open 面 →
Appears in
Directions

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.