v.
to meet; to see each other
见面
to meet; to see each other
Literally 'see face' (见 see + 面 face). A separable verb meaning to meet up or see someone in person; say 跟他见面 (meet with him).
Common Usage & Traps
- 见面 — to meet; to see each other
- 跟他见面 — to meet with him
- 第一次见面 — to meet for the first time
- 见个面 — to meet up
- 见过面 — have met before
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见面你见你 / 跟你见面见面 already has 'face' inside; you can't add the person after it. Say 见你 or 跟你见面.
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见面他见他 / 跟他见面Same pattern: use 见他 or 跟他见面.
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见面一次见一次面一次 goes inside the pair: 见一次面, not after it.
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见面过见过面过 goes inside: 见过面, not 见面过.
Can you say 见面你 to mean 'meet you'?
No. 见面 can't take a person after it; say 见你 or 跟你见面.
见面 already contains the idea of face-to-face meeting. If you want to name the person, put 跟 or 和 before 见面. So 'meet you' is 见你 or 跟你见面, never 见面你.
“早上见面早上好！” (When we meet in the morning, we say 'Good morning!')
“早上见面早上好！” (When we meet in the morning, we say 'Good morning!')
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meet you | 见你 / 跟你见面 | 见面你 |
| Meet him | 见他 / 跟他见面 | 见面他 |
| Meet a friend | 见朋友 / 跟朋友见面 | 见面朋友 |
What's the difference between 见 and 见面?
见 puts the person after it; 见面 means both sides meet face to face.
Use 见 when you name who you see, like 见朋友 or 见老板. Use 见面 when the meeting itself is the point, like 我们明天见面. If you name the person with 见面, put 跟 or 和 before it.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Naming the person | 见他 | 见面他 |
| Mutual meetup | 跟他见面 | 见面他 |
| Seeing a friend | 见朋友 | 见面朋友 |
Where does 一次 or 过 go when you use 见面?
Put 一次 or 过 inside 见面: 见一次面, 见过面.
见面 can be split apart by 一次, 个, or 过. Say 见一次面, 见个面, or 见过面. Putting those words after 见面 makes it sound off.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meet once | 见一次面 | 见面一次 |
| Have met before | 见过面 | 见面过 |
| Meet up casually | 见个面 | 见面个 |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
- Scene #1
早上 见面 早上好！
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