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 with 见
These common phrases only work with 见：
- ～朋友 to see a friend
- ～你 to see you
- 明天～ see you tomorrow
- 一会儿～ see you in a while
- 下次～ see you next time
- 晚上～ see you tonight
- 明年～ see you next year
You'll notice that the English translation "see" feels natural for most of the examples here, although in some cases "meet" might qork as well.
Example Sentences with 见
In the following sentences, only 见 can be used:
Common Phrases with 见面
These common phrases only work with 见面：
- 第一次～ to see a friend
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?
