面

• Pinyin: miàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 面 = simplified from 麵, which contains 麦 (wheat) + 面 (phonetic) — wheat-based food

Meaning

Noodles; flour. Refers to wheat-based food products, either noodles or flour.

In northern China, 面 is an essential staple food. Can refer to noodles in various forms (面条 noodles, 方便面 instant noodles) or to flour itself (面粉). Northern Chinese cuisine revolves heavily around wheat-based 面 dishes.

Examples

1. 中午我们吃面吧。 Let's have noodles for lunch.
2. 这家店的牛肉面特别好吃。 The beef noodles at this restaurant are especially delicious.
3. 她用面做了很多饺子。 She made a lot of dumplings with flour.

Usage Guide

Context: food, cooking, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 今天晚上吃面条吧。(Let's have noodles for dinner tonight.)
• 我想吃一碗热面。(I'd like a bowl of hot noodles.)

Don't Say

• 不要混淆'面'(noodles)和'饭'(rice) (Don't use 面 when you mean cooked rice — 面 is wheat-based; 饭 is rice-based)

Origin & History

Originally written as 麵, with the 麦 (wheat) radical indicating its connection to wheat products. Simplified to share the character 面 (face/surface).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal