Chinese word

面对面

Pronunciation

Pinyinmiàn duì miàn

Meaning

  • adverbface to face

Example

我们可以面对面谈这件事吗？wǒ men ké yǐ miàn duì miàn tán zhè jiàn shì ma

Can we talk about this face to face?

Illustration for 面对面 (face to face)

More examples

这个问题最好面对面沟通。zhè ge wèn tí zuì hǎo miàn duì miàn gōu tōng

It is best to communicate face to face about this problem.

Core concept

Direct interaction between people who are together in the same place and can address each other openly.

Common phrases

  • 面对面交谈miàn duì miàn jiāo tán

    converse face to face

  • 面对面沟通miàn duì miàn gōu tōng

    communicate face to face

  • 面对面交流miàn duì miàn jiāo liú

    interact face to face

Similar words

当面dāng miàn: Describes speaking or acting directly to someone who is present.
亲自qīn zì: Describes handling an action oneself instead of leaving it to another person.
直接zhí jiē: Describes an action carried out in a direct way, without anything in between.

Definition in Chinese

用作副词，表示以面对面的方式进行动作，如与人见面或当面谈话。yòng zuò fù cí biǎo shì yǐ miàn duì miàn de fāng shì jìn xíng dòng zuò rú yǔ rén jiàn miàn huò dāng miàn tán huà

Word origin

The three characters 面 (miàn, "face"), 对 (duì, "toward"), and 面 (miàn, "face") show two faces turned toward each other, which gives the word its direct-contact meaning.

Usage tips

  • Its position before a verb makes the manner of an activity clear, so it can describe direct discussion, meeting, or other interaction without functioning as a noun.

Other meanings

  • in personadverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word