见面
jiànmiàn
The English verb 'meet' is expressed in Chinese as 见面 (jiànmiàn).
见面 is used to describe coming face to face with someone by arrangement.
Meaning: to come face to face with someone by arrangement (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 见面 is composed of 见, which means 'to see' or 'to meet' and 面, which means 'face'.
Which one should you use?
见面 implies a planned meeting between people. This differs from 遇到, which is used when you bump into someone by chance.
How does it change in a sentence?
见面 is a separable verb, which means you cannot place an object directly after it.
How do you pronounce it?
jiànmiàn
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because 见面 is intransitive, do not say 见面他 to mean 'meet him'. Instead, you must say 跟他见面 (meet with him).
Did you know?
- While 见面 means 'to meet', the word 面 also means 'noodles'. In some contexts, suggesting a 'face-to-face' meeting is a playful way to invite someone to a meal.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 'giving face' 给面子 is closely tied to the word 面 in 见面. To refuse a request to meet someone can be seen as 'taking their face' or shaming them.
- The character 见 in 见面 is a simplified version of a character that originally depicted a large eye, emphasizing the act of seeing.
Examples in context
- 我们在哪里见面？Where are we going to meet?This sentence is useful for asking about a meeting location.Tatoeba #7768148 by jiangche, translation #4980516 by tinnatay
- 他们不会再见面了。They would never meet again.This sentence is useful for describing a situation where people will not meet again.Tatoeba #5613685 by verdastelo9604, translation #307271 by CM
- 让我们在一点见面。Let's meet at one o'clock.This sentence is useful for suggesting a specific time to meet.Tatoeba #9955775 by GlossaMatik, translation #73173 by CK
- 首次见面，很荣幸认识你。First time meeting, it's an honor to meet you.
- 非常好，我们找个地方坐下来谈。Excellent, let's find a place to sit and talk.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding where to meet for coffee.
- 俊杰 Junjie我们明天下午见面吧。Wǒmen míngtiān xiàwǔ jiànmiàn ba.Let's meet tomorrow afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好啊，在哪儿见面？Hǎo a, zài nǎ'er jiànmiàn?Sure, where shall we meet?
- 俊杰 Junjie在那个咖啡馆见面可以吗？Zài nàge kāfēiguǎn jiànmiàn kěyǐ ma?Is it okay to meet at that cafe?
- 佳怡 Jiayi没问题，到时候见。Méi wèntí, dào shíhòu jiàn.No problem, see you then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
