面部

• Pinyin: miàn bù
• Hanzi breakdown: 面 = pictograph of a face — face, surface; 部 = 阝(mound radical) + 咅 (phonetic) — section, part, region

Meaning

The face; the facial area. Refers specifically to the human face as an anatomical or cosmetic zone.

A neutral, formal noun used in medical, cosmetic, and scientific contexts to refer to the face as a body region. Commonly appears in compounds such as 面部表情 (facial expression), 面部识别 (facial recognition), and 面部护理 (facial skincare). More clinical and precise than 脸 (face), which is the everyday colloquial term.

Examples

1. 这款美容仪声称能够通过微电流刺激面部肌肉，改善皮肤弹性，但其实际功效尚未得到严格的临床验证。 This beauty device claims it can improve skin elasticity by using microcurrent to stimulate facial muscles, but its real effectiveness hasn’t been rigorously validated in clinical studies.
2. 法医通过对遇难者面部特征的三维建模技术，成功还原了其生前大致的容貌，为身份确认工作提供了重要依据。 Using 3D modeling of the victim’s facial features, the forensic team successfully reconstructed a rough likeness of their appearance in life, providing crucial support for identification.
3. 该研究发现，人类在识别他人面部表情时，会不自觉地激活负责情绪模拟的镜像神经元系统。 The study found that when people recognize others’ facial expressions, they unconsciously activate the mirror-neuron system responsible for emotional simulation.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, cosmetics, technology, forensics, anatomy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 随着人工智能快速发展，面部识别精度大幅提高，但其在公共场所的广泛应用也引发了隐私保护争议。(As artificial intelligence develops rapidly, facial recognition accuracy has improved greatly, but its widespread use in public places has also raised privacy concerns.)
• 整形外科医生在术前会与患者进行详尽的面部分析，从骨骼结构、软组织分布到皮肤状况，全面评估后才制定个性化的手术方案。(Plastic surgeons conduct detailed facial analysis with patients before surgery — from skeletal structure and soft tissue distribution to skin condition — formulating a personalised surgical plan only after a comprehensive assessment.)

Don't Say

• 在日常口语中用'面部'代替'脸' — 面部是偏书面和专业的术语，用于日常谈话中描述某人的脸时，应使用更自然的'脸'或'脸部' (Do not replace 脸 with 面部 in everyday spoken Chinese — 面部 is a written and technical term; in casual conversation when referring to someone's face, use the more natural 脸 or 脸部)

Origin & History

面 = a pictograph of a face with the eye prominent — face, surface; 部 = 阝(city/mound radical on right) + 咅 (phonetic) — section, part, department. Together: the facial section/region of the body.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal