面子 miànzi powder
(medicinal) powder; outer surface; the outside of something; social prestige; face
How to remember 面子: 面 face + 子 child = powder.
Characters
How it is used
- "Face" - social prestige and dignity - 给面子 (gěi miànzi) to show someone respect, 丢面子 (diū miànzi) to lose face, 爱面子 (ài miànzi) to care about appearances.
- The culturally loaded core sense; central to social interaction and saving/giving face.
- Literally also a surface/outer side (被面子, the outer side of a quilt), but the social meaning dominates.