水面

• Pinyin: shuǐ miàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = water; 面 = face (top layer) — the top face of a body of water

Meaning

Water surface; surface of the water. The interface between water and air in a lake, river, sea, or other body of water.

Used literally in descriptions of nature, navigation, and hydrology. Figuratively, 水面以下 (below the water surface) describes hidden aspects of a situation, analogous to the English 'beneath the surface' or 'the tip of the iceberg'.

Examples

1. 夕阳的余晖映照在湖面的水面上，波光粼粼，十分壮观。 The glow of the setting sun reflected off the lake’s surface, shimmering brilliantly—it was spectacular.
2. 潜水员从水面慢慢下潜，消失在深蓝色的海水中。 The diver slowly descended from the surface and disappeared into the deep blue sea.
3. 这件事在水面上看起来简单，背后却隐藏着复杂的利益纠纷。 On the surface, this looks simple, but behind it are complex conflicts of interest.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, navigation, figurative, hydrology

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 清晨薄雾笼罩在水面上，整个湖泊宛如仙境般宁静。(At dawn, thin mist hung over the water surface, making the entire lake as tranquil as a fairyland.)
• 船只在水面上平稳航行，两岸的山景如画卷般徐徐展开。(The vessel sailed steadily across the water surface, the mountain scenery on both banks unfolding like a scroll painting.)

Don't Say

• 水面 and 湖面/海面/河面 are not always interchangeable in precise contexts — use 湖面, 海面, or 河面 when specifying the body of water for clarity

Origin & History

水 (water) + 面 (surface, face) — the face or surface of water

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal