面子
Mianzi refers to your social reputation or the respect you have in the eyes of others.
Explanation at your level:
Mianzi is like your 'good name.' If you are nice to people, you have good mianzi. If you do something bad, you lose your mianzi.
In daily life, mianzi means respect. When you help a friend, you are giving them mianzi. It is important to be polite to keep your mianzi.
Mianzi describes your reputation. It is a common social rule. People try to avoid 'losing face' by being careful about what they say in front of others.
The concept of mianzi is essential for understanding social hierarchy. It involves strategic politeness to ensure that others feel respected, which helps maintain social harmony.
Mianzi acts as a mechanism for social control. It forces individuals to conform to group expectations to avoid the shame of 'losing face.' It is a nuanced dance of public perception.
Mianzi is a profound cultural paradigm that dictates interactional etiquette. It functions as a form of symbolic capital, where the accumulation of face grants one social leverage, while the erosion of face can lead to total social alienation.
واژه در 30 ثانیه
- Mianzi means social reputation.
- It is often translated as 'face'.
- It is an uncountable noun.
- It is vital for social harmony.
When you hear the word 面子 (miànzi), think of it as your social currency. It is not just about your physical face, but your reputation and the respect you command in a group.
In many cultures, keeping mianzi is vital for smooth social interactions. If you show someone respect, you are 'giving them face,' which helps build trust and long-term relationships.
The concept of mianzi has deep roots in Confucian philosophy, which emphasizes social harmony and hierarchy. Historically, it evolved from the idea that a person's behavior reflects on their family, community, and ancestors.
The term became a formal sociological study in the 20th century, notably by scholars like Hsien Chin Hu, who defined it as a way to regulate behavior through the desire for social approval.
You will often hear mianzi used with verbs like give (给), lose (丢), or save (留). It is a very common topic in business negotiations and family gatherings.
Use it when discussing social dynamics. For example, 'giving someone face' is a strategic way to handle conflicts without causing the other person to feel humiliated.
1. 给面子 (gěi miànzi): To give face; to show respect. Example: Thanks for coming; you really gave me face.
2. 丢面子 (diū miànzi): To lose face. Example: He felt he lost face when his boss corrected him in front of the team.
3. 爱面子 (ài miànzi): To be image-conscious. Example: She is very 'ai mianzi' and won't admit when she's wrong.
4. 留面子 (liú miànzi): To save face for someone. Example: I criticized him privately to save his face.
5. 打肿脸充胖子 (dǎ zhǒng liǎn chōng pàngzi): Literally 'slapping one's face to look fat,' meaning to pretend to be richer or better than one is to maintain face.
Mianzi is a non-count noun. You don't say 'a mianzi' or 'many mianzis.' It behaves like abstract concepts such as 'honor' or 'prestige.'
Pronunciation: miàn (falling tone) + zi (neutral tone). It rhymes loosely with 'pawn-uh' in a very stylized way. The stress is primarily on the first syllable.
Fun Fact
It is a direct translation of the physical face used as a metaphor for social standing.
Pronunciation Guide
Sounds like 'my-ahn' and 'zee'.
Similar to UK but with a flatter 'a'.
Common Errors
- Mispronouncing the tone
- Adding an 's' at the end
- Confusing 'mi' with 'me'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Easy to understand
Easy to use
Easy to say
Easy to hear
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
پیشرفته
Grammar to Know
Uncountable nouns
Mianzi is like water.
Subject-Verb Agreement
He has mianzi.
Articles with abstract nouns
He has mianzi.
Examples by Level
He has good mianzi.
He has good reputation.
Simple subject-verb-object.
Don't make him lose face.
She cares about her mianzi.
He gave me a lot of face.
It is a matter of mianzi.
Do you want to save face?
He has no mianzi left.
They value mianzi a lot.
Is mianzi important here?
I did it to give him some face.
He lost face during the meeting.
She is too proud to lose face.
It is all about saving face.
He worries about his mianzi.
They don't care about mianzi.
Giving face is a sign of respect.
You should consider his mianzi.
He sacrificed his own mianzi to help his friend.
The deal collapsed because he refused to save face.
Public criticism is a sure way to make someone lose face.
In this culture, mianzi is more important than logic.
She managed to save face despite the error.
His obsession with mianzi blinded him to the truth.
We must handle this delicately to avoid loss of face.
The manager gave the employee face by praising him privately.
The negotiation was a complex exercise in saving face for both parties.
His fragile ego is tied entirely to his public mianzi.
To avoid a total loss of face, he resigned quietly.
The social cost of losing face is often social ostracization.
She navigated the dispute with a focus on preserving mutual mianzi.
It is a performative act intended to bolster his waning mianzi.
The cultural imperative of mianzi often overrides individual desires.
He prioritized the appearance of success to maintain his mianzi.
The intricate interplay of mianzi dictates the subtle hierarchies of this society.
One must master the art of granting mianzi to succeed in these circles.
The structural integrity of their community relies on the preservation of mianzi.
He orchestrated the apology to ensure everyone saved face.
The loss of mianzi is treated with the gravity of a moral failing.
Her reputation is a construct of carefully maintained mianzi.
The concept of mianzi serves as a powerful deterrent against public discord.
Understanding mianzi is the key to unlocking the nuances of their social etiquette.
ترکیبهای رایج
Idioms & Expressions
"Save face"
Avoid embarrassment
He resigned to save face.
neutral"Lose face"
Be embarrassed
She lost face when she failed.
neutral"Give face"
Show respect
He gave me face by attending.
neutral"Face the music"
Accept consequences
He had to face the music.
neutral"Keep one's face"
Maintain dignity
He kept his face during the trial.
formal"Put on a brave face"
Hide sadness
She put on a brave face.
neutralEasily Confused
Both relate to self-worth.
Pride is internal; mianzi is external.
He has pride (internal) vs. He lost face (external).
Very similar meaning.
Reputation is broader.
His reputation is good.
Both relate to respect.
Honor is moral.
A man of honor.
Relates to standing.
Status is hierarchical.
High social status.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + gives + someone + mianzi
I gave him mianzi.
Subject + loses + mianzi
He lost mianzi.
It is a matter of + mianzi
It is a matter of mianzi.
Subject + cares about + mianzi
She cares about mianzi.
Subject + saves + mianzi
He saved mianzi.
خانواده کلمه
Nouns
Adjectives
مرتبط
How to Use It
7
Formality Scale
اشتباهات رایج
It is an uncountable noun.
It rarely means the physical body part.
Mianzi is external; pride is internal.
No plural form exists.
It is a loan word/cultural term.
Tips
Memory Palace
Imagine a mirror in your hallway; that's your mianzi.
Native Speakers
They use 'saving face' more than 'mianzi'.
Cultural Insight
Respect is the core of mianzi.
Grammar Shortcut
Treat it like 'honor'.
Say It Right
Focus on the falling tone.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't pluralize it.
Did You Know?
It's a global concept.
Study Smart
Learn it with 'face' idioms.
Social Context
It changes based on the group.
Business
Crucial for negotiations.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Mianzi: My-own-zee (My own reputation).
Visual Association
A mask that you wear in public.
Word Web
چالش
Try to explain 'saving face' to a friend.
ریشه کلمه
Chinese
Original meaning: Face
بافت فرهنگی
Be careful not to mock the concept; it is serious in many cultures.
The concept is understood but often referred to as 'saving face'.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At work
- Don't make him lose face
- Give him some face
- Save face in the meeting
In family
- You are losing face for us
- Think about the family mianzi
In business
- Negotiate to save face
- Avoid public conflict
In social life
- He is very mianzi-conscious
Conversation Starters
"How important is mianzi in your culture?"
"Have you ever had to save face for someone?"
"Do you think people care too much about mianzi?"
"What is the best way to give someone face?"
"Is losing face always a bad thing?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you felt you lost face.
Describe someone you know who is very mianzi-conscious.
How does social media affect our mianzi?
Is it possible to live without caring about mianzi?
سوالات متداول
8 سوالNo, the concept of face exists in many cultures.
Yes, but explain it if the listener doesn't know it.
Not exactly; pride is internal, mianzi is external.
By being successful and respectful.
You feel embarrassed or lose social status.
No, it is natural to want respect.
Usually, it is something others give you.
It is a cultural term used in various registers.
خودت رو بسنج
He wants to save his ___.
Mianzi means reputation.
What does 'losing mianzi' mean?
It means social shame.
Mianzi is a countable noun.
It is uncountable.
Word
معنی
Giving face is showing respect.
Subject-verb-object.
امتیاز: /5
Summary
Mianzi is the social currency of respect and reputation that we all carry in public.
- Mianzi means social reputation.
- It is often translated as 'face'.
- It is an uncountable noun.
- It is vital for social harmony.
Memory Palace
Imagine a mirror in your hallway; that's your mianzi.
Native Speakers
They use 'saving face' more than 'mianzi'.
Cultural Insight
Respect is the core of mianzi.
Grammar Shortcut
Treat it like 'honor'.
مثال
在中国文化中，面子非常重要。
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