Definitions

liǎn (noun) face

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "脸", with its traditional form "臉", is structured around the "肉" radical denoting flesh and the component "僉" which primarily functions as a phonetic indicator. Etymologically, this character originally referred specifically to the cheeks in early Chinese texts, rather than the entire face, but its meaning gradually broadened over centuries to encompass the whole visage. This semantic expansion was solidified by the late imperial period, and the simplified form "脸" retains the flesh radical while altering the phonetic component to "佥".

Example Sentences Hide

我的很干净。

Wǒ de liǎn hěn gānjìng.

My face is very clean.

他洗了。

Tā xǐ liǎnle.

He washed his face.

妈妈看着我的

Māma kànzhe wǒ de liǎn.

Mom is looking at my face.

她的色有点苍白。

Tā de liǎnsè yǒudiǎn cāngbái.

Her complexion is a bit pale.

不要用脏手摸

Bùyào yòng zāng shǒu mō liǎn.

Don't touch your face with dirty hands.

我看到他红的样子。

Wǒ kàndào tā liǎn hóng de yàngzi.

I saw the way his face turned red.

天气冷,我的冻得通红。

Tiānqì lěng, wǒ de liǎn dòng de tōnghóng.

The weather is cold, and my face is frozen bright red.

尽管他努力保持镇定,但上还是露出了紧张的表情。

Jǐnguǎn tā nǔlì bǎochí zhèndìng, dàn liǎnshang háishì lùchūle jǐnzhāng de biǎoqíng.

Even though he tried to stay calm, his face still showed a nervous expression.