めん

face, mug, surface, side or facet, corner, page

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Core Meanings

The character (miàn) primarily means "face" or "surface." It is used to refer to the human face, the surface of objects, or abstract aspects such as sides or aspects of a situation.

Usage in Daily Life

When talking about a person's face or facial expression, is often combined with (color) as to describe someone's complexion or mood. For example, 苍白 means "pale face," indicating tiredness or illness.

Abstract and Figurative Uses

also frequently appears in compound words or phrases to indicate different aspects or sides of a topic, such as 经济 (economic aspect) or 文化 (cultural aspect). This usage helps to analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives.

Common Collocations

  • (miànsè): facial expression or complexion
  • (báimiàn): white surface or white flour
  • 方面 (fāngmiàn): aspect, side, or field
  • 面对 (miànduì): to face or confront

Tips

Be careful not to confuse with similar-sounding words like 面条 (miàntiáo, noodles) which uses the same character but in a different context. Also, can refer to physical surfaces or metaphorical sides, so context is key to understanding its meaning.

Example Sentences

His facial expression looks very tired.

Please write on the white side of this paper.

We need to analyze this problem from the economic and cultural aspects.