面 miàn — fade; side; surface; aspect; top; face
桌面上放着一台电脑。Zhuō miàn shàng fàng zhe yì tái diàn nǎo.There is a computer on the desk.
Common words: 后面 (hòu mian)、前面 (qián miàn)、见面 (jiàn miàn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "face"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "face", including 面 (miàn), 脸 (liǎn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "face" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 面 (miàn), 脸 (liǎn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span miàn, liǎn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 面 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 面 miànfade; side; surface; aspect; top; faceUseful words: 后面, 前面
- 脸 liǎnfaceUseful words: 脸色, 脸盆
Common words for these 2 "face" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 面 (miàn) — so "face" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "face".
脸 liǎn — face
她的脸红了。Tā de liǎn hóng le.Her face turned red.
Common words: 脸色 (liǎn sè)、脸盆 (liǎn pén)、笑脸 (xiào liǎn)
All 2 characters
Open 面、脸 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.