面试

• Pinyin: miàn shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 面 = pictograph of a face — face-to-face; 试 = 讠(speech) + 式 (form) — to test, to try

Meaning

To interview; job interview. A formal meeting in which a candidate is evaluated for a position.

Used both as a verb (to interview someone / to be interviewed) and as a noun (an interview). Specifically refers to job or school admission interviews. 面试官 is the interviewer. Distinguished from 采访 (media interview) and 访谈 (talk/discussion). 参加面试 (to attend an interview) and 通过面试 (to pass an interview) are common collocations.

Examples

1. 他明天有一个很重要的面试。 He has a very important interview tomorrow.
2. 面试的时候一定要穿得正式一些。 You should definitely dress formally for the interview.
3. 经过三轮面试，她终于被录取了。 After three rounds of interviews, she was finally accepted.

Usage Guide

Context: career, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 祝你面试顺利！(Good luck with your interview!)
• 公司下周会安排面试。(The company will arrange interviews next week.)

Don't Say

• 记者面试了他 — for a media interview, use 采访 instead of 面试; 面试 is specifically for job or school evaluations

Origin & History

面 means 'face' or 'in person' and 试 means 'to test.' An interview is literally a face-to-face test.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal