B1 noun 2분 분량

面子

mianzi

설명: 面子 당신의 레벨에서:

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.

面子 30초 만에

  • 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.

재미있는 사실

It is a direct translation of the physical face used as a metaphor for social standing.

발음 가이드

영국식 /mjɑːn.zi/

Sounds like 'my-ahn' and 'zee'.

미국식 /mjɑn.zi/

Similar to UK but with a flatter 'a'.

자주 하는 실수

  • Mispronouncing the tone
  • Adding an 's' at the end
  • Confusing 'mi' with 'me'

라임이 맞는 단어

bonzai ansi frenzy pansy tansy

난이도

독해 2/5

Easy to understand

쓰기 2/5

Easy to use

말하기 2/5

Easy to say

듣기 2/5

Easy to hear

다음에 무엇을 배울까

선수 학습

Respect Face Status

다음에 배울 것

Hierarchy Etiquette Diplomacy

고급

Social capital Face-saving strategies

알아야 할 문법

Uncountable nouns

Mianzi is like water.

Subject-Verb Agreement

He has mianzi.

Articles with abstract nouns

He has mianzi.

수준별 예문

1

He has good mianzi.

He has good reputation.

Simple subject-verb-object.

1

Don't make him lose face.

2

She cares about her mianzi.

3

He gave me a lot of face.

4

It is a matter of mianzi.

5

Do you want to save face?

6

He has no mianzi left.

7

They value mianzi a lot.

8

Is mianzi important here?

1

I did it to give him some face.

2

He lost face during the meeting.

3

She is too proud to lose face.

4

It is all about saving face.

5

He worries about his mianzi.

6

They don't care about mianzi.

7

Giving face is a sign of respect.

8

You should consider his mianzi.

1

He sacrificed his own mianzi to help his friend.

2

The deal collapsed because he refused to save face.

3

Public criticism is a sure way to make someone lose face.

4

In this culture, mianzi is more important than logic.

5

She managed to save face despite the error.

6

His obsession with mianzi blinded him to the truth.

7

We must handle this delicately to avoid loss of face.

8

The manager gave the employee face by praising him privately.

1

The negotiation was a complex exercise in saving face for both parties.

2

His fragile ego is tied entirely to his public mianzi.

3

To avoid a total loss of face, he resigned quietly.

4

The social cost of losing face is often social ostracization.

5

She navigated the dispute with a focus on preserving mutual mianzi.

6

It is a performative act intended to bolster his waning mianzi.

7

The cultural imperative of mianzi often overrides individual desires.

8

He prioritized the appearance of success to maintain his mianzi.

1

The intricate interplay of mianzi dictates the subtle hierarchies of this society.

2

One must master the art of granting mianzi to succeed in these circles.

3

The structural integrity of their community relies on the preservation of mianzi.

4

He orchestrated the apology to ensure everyone saved face.

5

The loss of mianzi is treated with the gravity of a moral failing.

6

Her reputation is a construct of carefully maintained mianzi.

7

The concept of mianzi serves as a powerful deterrent against public discord.

8

Understanding mianzi is the key to unlocking the nuances of their social etiquette.

자주 쓰는 조합

Give face
Lose face
Save face
Care about mianzi
Maintain mianzi
Public mianzi
Matter of mianzi
Protect mianzi
Harm mianzi
Value mianzi

관용어 및 표현

1

"Save face"

Avoid embarrassment

He resigned to save face.

neutral
2

"Lose face"

Be embarrassed

She lost face when she failed.

neutral
3

"Give face"

Show respect

He gave me face by attending.

neutral
4

"Face the music"

Accept consequences

He had to face the music.

neutral
5

"Keep one's face"

Maintain dignity

He kept his face during the trial.

formal
6

"Put on a brave face"

Hide sadness

She put on a brave face.

neutral

혼동하기 쉬운

面子 Pride

Both relate to self-worth.

Pride is internal; mianzi is external.

He has pride (internal) vs. He lost face (external).

面子 Reputation

Very similar meaning.

Reputation is broader.

His reputation is good.

面子 Honor

Both relate to respect.

Honor is moral.

A man of honor.

面子 Status

Relates to standing.

Status is hierarchical.

High social status.

문장 패턴

A2

Subject + gives + someone + mianzi

I gave him mianzi.

A2

Subject + loses + mianzi

He lost mianzi.

B1

It is a matter of + mianzi

It is a matter of mianzi.

B1

Subject + cares about + mianzi

She cares about mianzi.

B1

Subject + saves + mianzi

He saved mianzi.

어휘 가족

명사

mianzi reputation

형용사

mianzi-conscious worried about reputation

관련

honor similar concept

사용법

frequency

7

격식 수준

Formal Neutral Casual Slang

💡

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.

암기하기

기억법

Mianzi: My-own-zee (My own reputation).

시각적 연상

A mask that you wear in public.

Word Web

Respect Social status Harmony Public image

챌린지

Try to explain 'saving face' to a friend.

어원

Chinese

원래 의미: Face

문화적 맥락

Be careful not to mock the concept; it is serious in many cultures.

The concept is understood but often referred to as 'saving face'.

The Joy Luck Club (Book) Various business textbooks on Asia

실생활에서 연습하기

실제 사용 상황

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

대화 시작하기

"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?"

일기 주제

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?

자주 묻는 질문

8 질문
No, 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.

셀프 테스트

fill blank A1

He wants to save his ___.

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답: mianzi

Mianzi means reputation.

multiple choice A2

What does 'losing mianzi' mean?

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답: Losing reputation

It means social shame.

true false B1

Mianzi is a countable noun.

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답: 거짓

It is uncountable.

match pairs B1

Word

모두 맞췄어요!

Giving face is showing respect.

sentence order B2

아래 단어를 탭해서 문장을 만들어 보세요
정답! 아쉬워요. 정답:

Subject-verb-object.

점수: /5

도움이 되었나요?
아직 댓글이 없습니다. 첫 번째로 생각을 공유하세요!