Japanese word

面

Pronunciation

Romajimen

Meaning

  • nounsurface, face

Example

机の面をきれいにします。tsukue no men o ki re i ni shi ma su

I clean the surface of the desk.

Illustration for 面 (surface)

More examples

立方体の面を数えます。rip pō tai no men o kazo e ma su

I count the faces of a cube.

この紙の面に名前を書きます。ko no kami no men ni na mae o ka ki ma su

I write my name on the surface of this paper.

Core concept

The term describes an object's broad outer area or an identifiable side, including the part that forms its visible face.

Common phrases

  • 面を拭くmen o fu ku

    wipe the surface

  • 面に触れるmen ni fu re ru

    touch the surface

Similar words

表面hyōmen: The outer layer of an object that is exposed or visible.
側面sokumen: The surface that forms the side of an object.
裏面rimen: The back side of an object, such as the reverse of a sheet.

Definition in Japanese

物の外側にある平らな部分や、向きによって区別される一つの側。mono no soto gawa ni a ru tai ra na bu bun ya mu ki ni yo tte ku betsu sa re ru hito tsu no gawa

Word origin

The noun 面 (men, "face" or "surface") comes from the Sino-Japanese character 面, borrowed from Chinese and read with the on'yomi men; its basic sense is the front or outer part of something.

Usage tips

  • On a box or desk, 面 (men) can identify one broad side, while 辺 (hen) identifies the line where two sides meet, a useful distinction in descriptions of shape.

Other meanings

  • sidenoun

Word lists with this word