对 duì — couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for
你说得很对。Nǐ shuō de hěn duì.What you said is very correct.
Common words: 对不起 (duì bu qǐ)、不对 (bù duì)、对话 (duì huà)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to face"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to face", including 对 (duì), 朝 (cháo / zhāo), 临 (lín). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to face" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 对 (duì), 朝 (cháo / zhāo), 临 (lín) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span duì, cháo, zhāo, lín — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 对 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 对 duìcouple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; forUseful words: 对不起, 不对
- 朝 cháo / zhāoto face; towards; facing; direct; a dynasty; the imperial courtUseful words: 朝代, 朝气蓬勃
- 临 línto face; to overlook; to arrive; to be (just) about to; just beforeUseful words: 面临, 临时
Common words for these 3 "to face" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 对 (duì) — so "to face" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
对不起duì bu qǐI'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon; to let (sb) down不对bù duìincorrect; wrong; amiss; abnormal对话duì huàto talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation朝代cháo dàidynasty; reign (of a king)朝气蓬勃zhāo qì péng bófull of youthful energy (idiom); vigorous; energetic; a bright spark朝着cháo zhetowards面临miàn línto face sth; to be confronted with临时lín shías the time draws near; at the last moment; temporary; interim光临guāng lín(formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend
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 "to face".
朝 cháo / zhāo — to face; towards; facing; direct; a dynasty; the imperial court
我们的房子朝南。Wǒ men de fáng zi cháo nán.Our house faces south.
Common words: 朝代 (cháo dài)、朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó)、朝着 (cháo zhe)
临 lín — to face; to overlook; to arrive; to be (just) about to; just before
临走前，他和大家一一道别。Lín zǒu qián, tā hé dà jiā yī yī dào bié.Before leaving, he said goodbye to everyone one by one.
Common words: 面临 (miàn lín)、临时 (lín shí)、光临 (guāng lín)
All 3 characters
Open 对、朝、临 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.