Mian

Mian is a pinyin term that can refer to several Chinese words pronounced miàn, depending on the character. In everyday use, it is most closely associated with noodles and dough-based foods, as well as with the Chinese word for face or surface in other compounds. The character 面 (simplified) or 麵/麵 (traditional) is the root for many terms, with noodles singled out by phrases like 面条/麵條 (noodles), 拉面 (lamian, hand-pulled noodles), 炒面/炒麵 (fried noodles). The concept of mian encompasses a wide family of wheat-based foods.

Outside pure cuisine, mian also appears in compounds related to face or surface, such as 面子 (miànzi, "face"/social standing) and 面包 (miànbāo, "bread"), though these use different senses of the character.

In English-language contexts, mian frequently appears as part of loanword forms such as chow mein, where 麵/麵 means "noodles" rather than the face sense. As a romanization, "mian" may also be used in personal names or place names, reflecting the underlying Chinese character chosen.