面相 (miàn xiāng) — facial features; looks (especially in the context of physiognomy)

Definition

面相 (miànxiàng) refers specifically to someone's facial features read for character or fortune — a physiognomy/face-reading term, not just 'looks' (which is 容貌).

noun
facial featureslooks (especially in the context of physiognomy)

Examples

  • 面相，。
    Tā de miàn xiāng kàn qǐ lái hěn wēn hé, ràng rén jué de róng yì xiāng chǔ.
    His facial features look gentle, making people feel he is easy to get along with.
  • ，面相。
    Zài chuán tǒng xiāng xué zhōng, miàn xiāng kě yǐ yù cè yí gè rén de mìng yùn.
    In traditional physiognomy, facial features can predict a person's fate.
  • 面相，。
    Tā de miàn xiāng tòu lù chū yì zhǒng zì xìn de qì zhì, ràng rén yìn xiàng shēn kè.
    Her facial features reveal a confident aura that leaves a deep impression.

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.

面miànface
相xiāngappearance

面 means face and 相 means appearance, so the word refers to the look of the face.

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.

Open 面 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

Open 相 →

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