Meaning of 面子
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outer surface; the outside of sth
- social prestige; face
- (medicinal) powder
How to use 面子
面子 is most often used for social prestige or dignity, especially in phrases like 给面子 (gěi miànzi, to show respect) and 丢面子 (diū miànzi, to lose face). Example: 他很爱面子。(Tā hěn ài miànzi.) He cares a lot about his image.
面 (miàn) means face or surface, and 子 (zi) is a common noun ending, as in 桌子 (zhuōzi). So 面子 is literally your face, the outside that other people see, which is your social image.
Common mistake: Learners often say 面子 when they mean a physical face, but the body part is 脸 (liǎn). Also note that 子 here is neutral tone, so say miànzi, not miànzǐ.
面子 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
面 miàn · face · 9 strokes
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子 zi · noun suffix · 3 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 面子.
| 孩子 | háizi | child |
| 儿子 | érzi | son |
| 房子 | fángzi | house; building (single- or two-story) |
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet; to see each other |
| 桌子 | zhuōzi | table; desk |
| 面包 | miànbāo | bread |
| 杯子 | bēizi | cup; glass |
| 包子 | bāozi | baozi; bao (steamed stuffed bun) |
| 本子 | běnzi | book; notebook |
| 面条儿 | miàntiáor | erhua variant of 麵條|面条[mian4 tiao2] |
| 样子 | yàngzi | appearance; manner |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing |
Questions about 面子
What does 面子 mean?
面子 (miànzi) means "outer surface; the outside of sth; social prestige; face" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 面子?
面子 is made of 2 characters: 面 (9 strokes), 子 (3 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 面子 an HSK word?
Yes. 面子 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 面子 and 脸 when talking about losing face?
Both appear in expressions about dignity, like 丢面子 and 丢脸 (diū liǎn). 丢脸 often sounds stronger and more personal, closer to being shamed, while 丢面子 focuses on one's public image or status.
Can 面子 mean something other than face or prestige?
Yes. It can mean the outer surface of something, such as the cover side of a quilt or garment. In some contexts it also means a powder, especially medicinal powder.