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 Mistakes with 见面
The main thing to remember with using 见面 is that you can't follow it with a person.
- 见面 朋友
- 见面 你
- 见面 我
- 见面 他
Example Sentences with 见面
In the following sentences, you can see how 见面 is used correctly:
- 我们 三 个 月 没有 见面 了。 X
- 今天 晚上 我 要 和 我的 一 个 朋友 见面 。 X
- 第 一 次 见面 后 我们 成 了 朋友 。 X
- 我 和 姐姐 很 少 见面 。 X
- 请 你 帮 我 取消 下午 和 客户 的 见面 。 X
Advanced Differences
Technically, 见面 (jiànmiàn) is just one way to use 见 (jiàn). 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. This grammar is a bit complicated, though, and you don't need it as an elementary learner. For a detailed understanding of this type of verb and its usage, see the intermediate-level Chinese Grammar Wiki grammar points 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?
