面
miàn
face
At a glance · 面

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

面 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 面 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 面 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 面 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 面 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 面 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested:oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

「面」繁体「麵/面」甲骨文象脸框围目,小篆承之。

What the sketch shows

面 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「面」本义为脸面,引申面向、表面、方面;麵为面粉。

Structure

象形字,象面部轮廓中有目,本为脸;简作面(并麵)。

At a glance

Pinyinmiàn
Radical面
Strokes9
UnicodeU+9762
Character type象形
Theme人体

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English face face; surface; plane; side, dimension; Kangxi radical 176
Français face / visage Face, visage. «背邙面洛» : face à la rivière Luo.
Español cara / rostro Cara, rostro. «背邙面洛»: frente al río Luo.
العربية وجه / قِبلة وجه، قِبلة. «背邙面洛»: مقابل نهر لوه.
Русский лицо / перед Лицо, перед. «背邙面洛»: лицом к реке Ло.

Common words

  • 面对miàn duìface
  • 面子miàn ziface