水面 (shuǐ miàn) — water surface

Definition

The top surface of any body of water (lakes, rivers, ponds). Use 海面 specifically for the sea; 水域 refers to the body of water itself, not its surface.

noun
water surface
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 水面
    Hú miàn shàng de shuǐ xiàng jìng zi yí yàng, shuǐ miàn fēi cháng píng jìng.
    The water on the lake is like a mirror; the water surface is very calm.
  • 水面
    Fēng chuī guò shuǐ miàn, jī qǐ le yì céng céng de bō làng.
    The wind blew across the water surface, stirring up layers of waves.
  • 水面
    Xiǎo chuán zài shuǐ miàn shàng huǎn huǎn dì qián jìn.
    A small boat moves slowly forward on the water surface.

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.

miànsurface

“水” and “面” combine to name the surface of a body of water.

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 →

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