miàn
(measure word); side; aspect
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我正在做饭。
wǒ zhèngzài zuò fàn.
I am cooking.
他正在看书。
tā zhèngzài kàn shū.
He is reading a book.
她在照镜子。
tā zài zhào jìngzi.
She is looking in the mirror.
The Chinese character 面 (miàn) for "face" is composed of two parts: 目 (mù) for "eye" and 丏 (miǎn) for "cover". The original meaning of 面 was "to cover the eyes", which is related to the ancient Chinese custom of covering the face with a veil or mask. In modern Chinese, 面 has extended its meaning to include "face" in the sense of the front of the head, as well as "surface" and "side".The character 面 is first seen in oracle bone script, the earliest form of Chinese writing. In oracle bone script, 面 is depicted as a person with a veil or mask covering their eyes. This suggests that the original meaning of 面 was indeed "to cover the eyes".In seal script, the next stage of Chinese writing, 面 is depicted as a person with a veil or mask covering their entire face. This suggests that the meaning of 面 had expanded to include "face" in the sense of the front of the head.In modern Chinese, 面 has further extended its meaning to include "surface" and "side". For example, the word 面积 (miànjī) means "area", which is the surface of a two-dimensional object. The word 面子 (miànzi) means "face" in the sense of social standing or reputation, which is the side of a person that is presented to the world.The character 面 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of words and phrases. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is essential for understanding many aspects of Chinese culture and society.
