全面

• Pinyin: quán miàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 全 = 入 (enter) + 王 (king/jade), meaning complete; 面 = pictograph of a face, extended to mean aspect or side

Meaning

Comprehensive; all-round; thorough. Covering every aspect without omission.

Used to describe things that are complete and leave nothing out — 全面的分析 (comprehensive analysis), 全面发展 (all-round development), 全面了解 (thorough understanding). Very common in formal writing, policy language, and educational contexts. Implies thoroughness and completeness.

Examples

1. 学校注重学生的全面发展。 The school focuses on students' all-round development.
2. 请你做一个全面的市场调查。 Please conduct a comprehensive market survey.
3. 他对这个问题有比较全面的了解。 He has a fairly thorough understanding of this issue.

Usage Guide

Context: education, analysis, policy, evaluations

Tone: thorough

Do Say

• 我们需要全面考虑这个方案。(We need to consider this plan comprehensively.)
• 教育要促进学生全面发展。(Education should promote students' all-round development.)

Don't Say

• 今天的晚饭很全面。(Don't use 全面 for meals — use 丰盛 (rich/sumptuous) instead. 全面 describes thoroughness of coverage, not abundance of food.)

Origin & History

全 means whole or complete; 面 means face or aspect. Together they mean covering all faces or aspects — looking at something from every angle without missing anything.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal