笑颜 (xiào yán) — smiling face; smile (often used in literary or formal contexts)

Definition

Literary/formal word for a 'smiling face', used in writing or to evoke warmth. 颜 itself is HSK 7; in everyday speech, use 笑容 xiàoróng or 笑脸 xiàoliǎn instead.

noun
smiling facesmile (often used in literary or formal contexts)
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 笑颜。
    Tā liǎn shàng lù chū le xiào yán.
    A smiling face appeared on his face.
  • 笑颜，。
    Kàn zhe zhào piàn lǐ de xiào yán, wǒ yě xiào le.
    Looking at the smiling face in the photo, I also smiled.
  • 笑颜。
    Tā de xiào yán xiàng chūn tiān de yáng guāng yí yàng wēn nuǎn.
    Her smiling face is as warm as the spring sunshine.

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.

笑xiàosmile
颜yánface

笑 gives smiling and 颜 gives face, together mean a smiling 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.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 顏; 颜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn顏⁰yán
Same sound today

The traditional form 顏, not the simplified 颜, pairs 彥 as a sound part with 頁, a head, for face or countenance.

Open 颜 →

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