脸形 (liǎn xíng) — face shape; facial features

Definition

noun

face shapefacial features

Easily confused

脸形。
Tā de liǎn xíng hěn hǎo kàn.
Her face shape is very pretty.
脸形。
Zhè zhǒng liǎn xíng shì hé dài yuán kuàng yǎn jìng.
This face shape suits wearing round-frame glasses.
脸形？
Yí gè rén de liǎn xíng néng fǎn yìng chū tā de xìng gé ma?
Can a person's face shape reflect their personality?

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.

形 of a 脸, the outline or shape of the face.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臉; 脸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part

Sound part声符shēngfú

僉

僉qiān臉liǎn

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 臉 combines ⺼ (肉, body part) with 僉 as a sound part; the simplified 脸 is a later abbreviation.

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

彡彡shān

Sound part声符shēngfú

井

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.