正面

Chinese

Pronunciation

Adjective

正面

1. positive; good

   正面形象  ―  zhèngmiàn xíngxiàng  ―  positive image

   正面影響／正面影响  ―  zhèngmiàn yǐngxiǎng  ―  positive impact

2. direct; head-on

   正面衝突／正面冲突  ―  zhèngmiàn chōngtū  ―  head-on clash

   請你正面回答我的問題。 [MSC, trad.]
   请你正面回答我的问题。 [MSC, simp.]

   Qǐng nǐ zhèngmiàn huídá wǒ de wèntí.

   Please answer my question directly.

Antonyms

• 反面 (fǎnmiàn)

Noun

正面

1. front; façade; frontage
2. right side; obverse

   牛皮紙的正面／牛皮纸的正面  ―  niúpízhǐ de zhèngmiàn  ―  the right side of kraft paper

   25美分硬幣的正面是華盛頓總統的頭像。 [MSC, trad.]
   25美分硬币的正面是华盛顿总统的头像。 [MSC, simp.]

   25 měifēn yìngbì de zhèngmiàn shì Huáshèngdùn zǒngtǒng de tóuxiàng.

   The obverse of a quarter shows the profile of George Washington.

3. (anatomy) frontal plane
4. (Magong, Sanxia and Tainan Hokkien) right side; the right

Synonyms

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “front”): 側面／侧面 (cèmiàn), 背面 (bèimiàn)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Middle Chinese 正面 (MC tsyeng|tsyengH mjienH).

First attested in the early 1200s.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょーめ​ん (Nakadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

正(しょう)面(めん) • (shōmen) ^{←しやうめん (syaumen)?}

1. front, façade (as of a building)
2. direct front side of something

   正面(しょうめん)カメラ

   shōmen kamera

   camera positioned to capture from directly in front of a subject

   正面(しょうめん)から見(み)る

   shōmen kara miru

   look from directly in front

3. straightforwardness, directness (especially in dealing with something)

   Synonym: 真面 (matomo, “honesty, directness, straightforwardness”)

4. (Noh, theater) the front of the main stage
5. (sumo) the north side of the 土俵場 (dohyōba, “the raised square wrestling ring”)

   Antonym: 裏正面 (ura-jōmen, “the south side of the 土俵場 (dohyōba, “the raised square wrestling ring”)”)

6. (historical) in the Shinagawa area of Edo, the front area of a brothel where prostitutes would show off and attract customers

   Synonym: 張り見世 (harimise)

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling of 真面 (matomo), swapping out the broadly synonymous kanji 真 for 正.

Definitions

References

Korean

Noun

正面 • (jeongmyeon) (hangeul 정면)

1. Hanja form^? of 정면 (“front, façade”).

Vietnamese

Adjective

正面

1. chữ Hán form of chính diện.