洋面 (yáng miàn) — the surface of the ocean; sea surface

Definition

A formal/written term for the surface of the open ocean, used mainly in scientific and meteorological contexts (e.g. sea surface temperature). For everyday water surfaces, just say 海面.

noun
the surface of the oceansea surface

Examples

  • 洋面，。
    Fēi jī cóng gāo kōng fǔ kàn yáng miàn, zhǐ jiàn yí piàn wèi lán.
    Looking down from the high altitude, the plane saw only a vast blue sea surface.
  • 洋面。
    Kē xué jiā men zhèng zài yán jiū yáng miàn de wēn dù biàn huà duì qì hòu de yǐng xiǎng.
    Scientists are studying the impact of sea surface temperature changes on the climate.
  • 洋面。
    Zhè sōu chuán zài píng jìng de yáng miàn shàng huǎn huǎn xíng shǐ.
    The ship sailed slowly across the calm sea 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.

洋yángocean
面miànsurface

洋 means ocean and 面 surface, so together they name the sea surface.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
羊
羊yáng洋yáng
Same sound today

洋 pairs 氵, the water part, with 羊 to give its sound.

Open 洋 →

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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