面

麵
miàn
#74 most
frequent character
face, surface, outside, side
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

面 draws a face outline 囗 with an eye 目 inside. That gave the first meaning, 'a person's face'. It grew to 'surface', 'side, aspect', and then to 'wheat flour' by sound loan, and from there 'noodles'.

Drawn as: face outline; eye

面 as a component in other characters

meaning1 character
靥
sound2 characters
缅腼
picture1 character
湎

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Example Sentences

她的脸很漂亮。
tāde liǎn hěn piàoliàng 。
Her face is very beautiful.
这个面很干净。
zhègè miàn hěn gānjìng 。
This surface is very clean.
我喜欢吃面条。
wǒ xǐhuān chī miàntiáo 。
I like to eat noodles.

Same Characters, Different Readings

面miàn
face, surface, outside, side
面miàn
face, surface, outside, side

Words with similar meanings

表面biǎomiàn
surface
This term specifically refers to the outer layer or appearance of something, which can be used interchangeably in some contexts.
外表wàibiǎo
appearance
This word is more focused on the external look or form of something, often used for people or objects.
脸面liǎnmiàn
face
This is another colloquial term for 'face,' often used in social contexts.
面粉miànfěn
flour
Refers specifically to the powder used in cooking; is a more specialized synonym.

Homophones

面miàn
face, surface, outside, side

Words Starting With 面

面包miàn bāo
"bread
面条miàn tiáo
noodles
面临miàn lín
to face sth; to be confronted with
面对miàn duì
to confront; to face
面积miàn jī
surface area

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