English–Chinese
“on the surface” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinbiǎo miàn shàng
Example
表面上这件事很简单，实际上很复杂。biǎo miàn shàng zhè jiàn shì hěn jiǎn dān shí jì shàng hěn fù zá
On the surface, this matter seems simple, but in reality it is complicated.
How to say “on the surface” in Chinese
“On the surface” in Chinese is 表面上 (biǎo miàn shàng).
A view that stops at the visible outer layer without claiming what lies underneath.
Example sentences with 表面上
表面上似乎一切正常，但细看会发现问题。biǎo miàn shàng sì hū yí qiè zhèng cháng dàn xì kàn huì fā xiàn wèn tí
On the surface, everything seems normal, but a closer look reveals problems.
Tips for using 表面上
- In everyday conversation, it often introduces a contrast: the first impression comes first, while the sentence later shows why that impression is incomplete.