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臉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
臉liǎnface, cheek; reputationx, 17 strokes, radical ⺼
liǎn(lian3)lian T3
  1. 1face, cheek; reputation
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March 24, 2026

臉liǎn(lian3)

The character '臉' (liǎn) primarily means 'face' and can also refer to 'cheek' or 'appearance.' In a broader context, it is often used to discuss someone's reputation or social standing, particularly in phrases like '面子' (miànzi), which means 'face' in terms of dignity or respect in social situations.

Strokes17Radical⺼
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of 'face' (面子) is significant, as it relates to one's dignity, reputation, and social standing. People often go to great lengths to maintain their 'face' in social interactions, affecting how they communicate and behave.

Memory tip

Think of '臉' as a face with two cheeks. The character has the '肉' (ròu) radical, which relates to flesh, emphasizing that it refers to a physical part of the body. Imagine the face of a friend whose cheeks turn red when embarrassed to remember the character's meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 臉

liǎn(lian3)
1face, cheek; reputation
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 臉

臉Simplified
17Strokes
⺼Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 臉

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AI study notes for 臉

Quick Contrast

脸 (liǎn) vs 面 (miàn) — use '脸' for the physical face or appearance, while '面' refers more to the surface or aspect of something, including metaphorical uses.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing '臉' with '面' (miàn), which can also mean 'face' but in different contexts. '臉' is more informal and is often used in everyday conversation, whereas '面' may be more formal. Be careful with the third tone in 'liǎn' to avoid mispronunciation.

HSK Study Tips

While '臉' is not in the official HSK vocabulary list, it connects well with other body part characters like '眼' (yǎn, eye) and '口' (kǒu, mouth) at HSK level 1. Students should focus on pronunciation and the character's components to build familiarity.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '臉' with '面' when discussing faces. For example, saying '我有一个大面' (wǒ yǒu yī gè dà miàn) instead of '我有一个大脸' (wǒ yǒu yī gè dà liǎn) is incorrect. Remember to use '臉' for casual references to faces.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 臉

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Etymology of 臉

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 佥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 臉.

Memory hint

flesh

Semantic (meaning)⺼
+
Phonetic (sound)僉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

臉 = ⺼ + 僉. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 臉

IDS Structure⿰⺼僉
臉Full character
=
⺼rou4
left
僉qian1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 臉?

How to say face, cheek; reputation in Chinese

“face, cheek; reputation” in Chinese is臉liǎn

The character '臉' (liǎn) primarily means 'face' and can also refer to 'cheek' or 'appearance.' In a broader context, it is often used to discuss someone's reputation or social standing, particularly in phrases like '面子' (miànzi), which means 'face' in terms of dignity or respect in social situations.

When to use 臉

Common mistakes include confusing '臉' with '面' (miàn), which can also mean 'face' but in different contexts. '臉' is more informal and is often used in everyday conversation, whereas '面' may be more formal. Be careful with the third tone in 'liǎn' to avoid mispronunciation.

臉 or something close to it

脸 (liǎn) vs 面 (miàn) — use '脸' for the physical face or appearance, while '面' refers more to the surface or aspect of something, including metaphorical uses.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '臉' with '面' when discussing faces. For example, saying '我有一个大面' (wǒ yǒu yī gè dà miàn) instead of '我有一个大脸' (wǒ yǒu yī gè dà liǎn) is incorrect. Remember to use '臉' for casual references to faces.

Write 臉

臉

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Word Family of 臉

Words containing this character20
脸liǎnface臉
脸色liǎnsèlook臉色
丢脸diūliǎnto lose face丟臉
脸部face臉部
笑脸xiàoliǎnsmiling face笑臉
脸蛋cheek臉蛋
满脸across one's whole face滿臉
不要脸shameless不要臉
脸红to blush臉紅
脸颊liǎnjiácheek臉頰
洗脸to wash your face洗臉
脸庞face臉龐
脸孔face臉孔
翻脸to fall out with sb翻臉
鬼脸wry face鬼臉
脸皮face臉皮
嘴脸look嘴臉
变脸to turn hostile suddenly變臉
脸面face臉面
露脸to show one's face露臉
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 臉

What does 脸 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 臉

'臉' is pronounced 'liǎn' with a falling-rising tone on the 'li'.

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