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面 (miàn) — face; side; aspect

Definition

面 (miàn) means 'face' in a formal or figurative sense (this aspect, on the surface of). For everyday 'face (body part)' use 脸 (liǎn); for 'side' of an object, 方面 is the common abstract noun while 侧面 is the physical surface.

noun
facesideaspect
Measure word · 张
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Tā de miàn shàng dài zhe wēi xiào.
    There is a smile on her face.
  • 。
    Tā cóng dōng miàn lái le.
    He came from the east side.
  • 。
    Wèn tí de zhè yí miàn xū yào zǐ xì kǎo lǜ.
    This aspect of the problem needs careful consideration.

Origin

Pictograph
六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíng

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.

Grammar

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsBody Parts2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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