面子

• 読み: めんつ
• ローマ字: mentsu
• 漢字の分解: 面 (face/surface) + 子 (child/suffix) → one's face presented to the world, social dignity
• 発音: /meɴ.tsɯ/

意味

Face — one's social reputation, dignity, and standing that must be maintained in public.

面子 operates alongside 世間体 but focuses more on personal dignity and the respect others show you. Losing face (面子を潰す) is one of the most serious social offences in Japanese culture. Corporate decisions, political negotiations, and personal relationships are all shaped by the need to protect everyone's 面子. Understanding this is essential for navigating Japanese business and social life.

例文

1. 人前で面子を潰されたら誰だって怒るよ。
2. 面子を立てるために裏で根回ししておいた。
3. 面子にこだわりすぎると大事なことを見失うよ。

使い方ガイド

場面: business, negotiations, social dynamics, conflict resolution

トーン: serious, diplomatic

正しい言い方

• 相手の面子を潰さないように注意してね (Be careful not to make them lose face)
• 面子を立ててくれてありがとう (Thanks for preserving my dignity)

避ける言い方

• 会議で上司の面子を潰すような反論は避ける (Avoid contradicting your boss in a meeting in a way that makes them lose face)

よくある間違い

• Publicly correcting someone in Japanese business settings — this causes them to lose 面子, even if you are objectively right
• Not understanding that protecting 面子 is not dishonesty — it is a core social courtesy in East Asian cultures

起源と歴史

Borrowed from Chinese 面子 (miànzi, face). While the concept of 'face' exists across East Asia, in Japanese it interacts uniquely with 建前, 義理, and 遠慮 to create a complex web of social reputation management.

文化的背景

時代: Chinese origin, deeply integrated into Japanese social dynamics

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal, especially business

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. While the concept of face exists globally, 面子 interacts with other Japanese social concepts to create particularly nuanced dynamics.