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 "surface"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "surface", including 面 (miàn), 表 (biǎo), 标 (biāo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "surface" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 面 (miàn), 表 (biǎo), 标 (biāo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span miàn, biǎo, biāo — 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
- 表 biǎosurface; exterior; to watch; to show; express; an exampleUseful words: 手表, 表现
- 标 biāothe topmost branches of a tree; surface; sign; to mark; (outward) sign; indicationUseful words: 目标, 标准
Common words for these 3 "surface" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 面 (miàn) — so "surface" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
后面hòu mianthe back; the rear; the last bit; behind前面qián miànahead; in front; preceding; above见面jiàn miànto meet; to see each other手表shǒu biǎowristwatch表现biǎo xiànto show; to show off; to display; to manifest代表dài biǎorepresentative; delegate; to represent; to stand for目标mù biāotarget; goal; objective标准biāo zhǔnstandard; norm; criterion; (adjective) standard标题biāo títitle; heading; headline; caption
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 3 ways to say "surface".
表 biǎo — surface; exterior; to watch; to show; express; an example
请填写这张表格。Qǐng tián xiě zhè zhāng biǎo gé.Please fill out this form.
Common words: 手表 (shǒu biǎo)、表现 (biǎo xiàn)、代表 (dài biǎo)
标 biāo — the topmost branches of a tree; surface; sign; to mark; (outward) sign; indication
这件商品上有价格标签。Zhè jiàn shāng pǐn shàng yǒu jià gé biāo qiān.This product has a price tag on it.
Common words: 目标 (mù biāo)、标准 (biāo zhǔn)、标题 (biāo tí)
All 3 characters
Open 面、表、标 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.