面

• Reading: めん
• Romaji: men
• Kanji breakdown: 面 (men/omote) — face, surface, mask, aspect
• Pronunciation: /me.n/

Meaning

Face; surface; side; aspect. A multi-meaning word for surfaces, faces, and facets.

A noun with multiple readings and meanings. As おもて, it means the front face or surface. As めん, it refers to a mask (as in Noh theater), a face in martial arts (面を打つ, to strike the face in kendo), or an aspect/side of something. Common in compounds like 表面 (surface), 面白い (interesting), and 場面 (scene).

Examples

1. この問題には色々な面がある。 This problem has many different aspects.
2. 剣道の試合で面を決めた。 I landed a men strike in the kendo match.
3. 紙の表の面に名前を書いてください。 Please write your name on the front side of the paper.

Usage Guide

Context: descriptions, martial arts, analysis

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 面 originally depicted a face inside an outline, representing the human face or a mask. Extended to mean any surface or side, and further to abstract meanings like aspect or facet.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal