笑容满面 (xiào róng mǎn miàn) — to be all smiles; to have a beaming smile

Definition

An idiom meaning a beaming, face-wide smile — more vivid and emphatic than the plain verb 笑, since the smile literally covers the whole face (满面).

idiom
to be all smilesto have a beaming smile

Examples

  • 笑容满面，。
    Jīn tiān tā xiào róng mǎn miàn, kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng kāi xīn.
    Today he is all smiles, looking very happy.
  • 笑容满面。
    Tā xiào róng mǎn miàn dì yíng jiē měi yí wèi gù kè.
    She welcomes every customer with a beaming smile.
  • 笑容满面，。
    Nà wèi lǎo shī xiào róng mǎn miàn, xiǎn rán hěn mǎn zú.
    That teacher is all smiles, obviously very content.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

笑容smile
笑xiàosmile容róngexpression
偏正Modifier + head
满面fills face
满mǎnfill面miànface
动宾Verb + object

The smile in 笑容 and the sense of filling the face in 满面 combine to mean beaming with smiles.

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
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
艸
艸cǎo笑xiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early 笑 used the grass 艸 for the sound and the dog 犬 for the meaning; later it was written with 竹 and 夭.

Open 笑 →

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng容róng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 容, the 宀 (roof) part points to holding or containing, and 公 gives the sound.

Open 容 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 滿; 满 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㒼
㒼㒼滿mǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 滿 pairs 水, showing water, with 㒼, giving the sound. The simplified 满 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 满 →

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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