Comparing "jian" and "jianmian"
Both 见 (jiàn) and 见面 (jiànmiàn) to mean “to see someone” or "to meet up with someone."
Sometimes they can be used interchangeably.
| 见 (jiàn) | 见面 (jiànmiàn) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to see someone | to meet face to face |
| Part of Speech | verb | verb |
| Formality | formal and informal | formal and informal |
The key difference between these words is 见 emphasizes to see someone, whereas 见面 emphasizes a to meet up with someone (face to face).
Contents
Similarities
Example Sentences
In the following sentences, 见 AND 见面 both can be used interchangeably:
Differences
Common Phrases
These common phrases only work with 见：
- ～朋友
- ～你
- 明天～
- 一会儿～
- 下次～
- 晚上～
- 明年～
Example Sentences
In the following sentences, only 见 can be used:
Common Phrases
These common phrases only work with 见面：
Example Sentences
In the following sentences, only 见面 can be used:
- 我们 三 个 月 没有 见面 了。
- 今天 晚上 我 要 和 我的 一 个 朋友 见面 。
- 第 一 次 见面 后 我们 成 了 朋友 。
- 我 和 姐姐 的 见面 机会 很 少 。
- 请 你 帮 我 取消 下午 和 客户 的 见面 。
Advanced Differences
见面 (jiànmiàn) is a special type of Chinese verb-object construct called a “separable verb,” meaning 见 and 面 can be “separated” and other information can be put in the middle. For a detailed understanding of this type of verb and its usage, see the Chinese Grammar Wiki page on separable verbs.
Sources and further reading
Books
- 1700对近义词语用法对比 第654页
Websites
- HiNative: "见" 和 "见面" 和有什么不一样?
