Meanings of 臉
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About 臉
Podcast: 臉
Podcast: 臉
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AI Study Notes for 臉
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pronunciation of 臉
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Etymology of 臉
Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 佥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 臉.
flesh
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 臉
Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 佥 represents the sound. Simplified form of 臉.
- 1The meaning half⺼ carries the sense.
- 2The sound half僉 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayflesh
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 臉
Identify the Components
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How to say face, cheek; reputation in Chinese
“face, cheek; reputation” in Chinese is臉
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
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Practice writing 臉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 臉
Compound Meaning
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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