面人 (miàn rén) — dough figurine (traditional Chinese folk art) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A folk-art figurine sculpted from dyed dough, a traditional Chinese craft often sold at temple fairs and scenic spots.

noun

dough figurine (traditional Chinese folk art)

Measure word · 个

Examples

面人。
Yé ye xiǎo shí hou xǐ huan niē miàn rén.
Grandpa liked to make dough figurines when he was young.
面人，。
Miào huì shàng de miàn rén sè cǎi xiān yàn, fēi cháng hǎo kàn.
The dough figurines at the temple fair are brightly colored and very beautiful.
面人。
Wǒ zài jǐng qū mǎi le yí gè sūn wù kōng miàn rén.
I bought a Sun Wukong dough figurine at the scenic spot.

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.

Dough and figure combine to mean a small human figure made of dough.

Characters in this word

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Appears in

Crafts & Handiwork

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