miàn

Miàn is the pinyin representation used for more than one Chinese morpheme. In modern Chinese, the two principal characters linked to this pronunciation are 面 in its simplified form and 麵 (traditional) or 麪 (rare variant), though the latter is less common today. The meaning depends on the character.

When written as 面, the word denotes face, surface, or an aspect of a thing. It occurs in many common words and expressions such as 面孔 (miànkǒng) face, 面对 (miànduì) to face or confront, 面子 (miànzi) face or social standing, 面积 (miànjī) area or surface area, 面包 (miànbāo) bread, and 面条 (miàntiáo) noodles in the broader sense, although noodles are typically represented by 面 in simplified text.

When written as 麵 in traditional script (and 麪 in variant forms), the character primarily means noodles or dough. In contexts using traditional characters, you may see 麵條 (miàntiáo) noodles, 炒麵 (chǎomiàn) fried noodles, or 麵館 (miànguǎn) noodle shop. In simplified Chinese, many noodle-related terms use 面 (for the same pronunciation) as the component, for example 面条 and 面馆.

Pronunciation for both main senses is the same: miàn with the fourth tone. The distinction is orthographic rather than phonetic in contemporary Standard Mandarin. The character’s usage reflects semantic domains: human features and surfaces versus food preparations. The term also appears in compounds like 面试 (miànshì) interview and 面临 (miànlín) face a challenge, illustrating its versatility in everyday language.