面粉
miàn fěn · HSK 7
flour
🌾 面粉 = 面 wheat/noodle + 粉 powder; flour is powdered wheat
面 covers wheat and noodles, 粉 means powder (same 粉 as in face powder). Put them together and 面粉 is literally wheat-powder, which is exactly what flour is.
面 — enclosure 囗 + 自 (nose/face inside)
Originally a pictograph showing a face framed by an outline, with 自 (nose) inside representing the central feature of the face. The early meaning was 'face,' which extended to 'surface,' 'side,' and 'aspect.' In simplified Chinese, 面 also absorbed 麵, adding the meaning 'flour/noodles.'
粉 — rice 米 + divide 分
A semantic-phonetic compound: 米 (rice/grain) gives the meaning, while 分 (fēn, 'divide') hints at the sound. It originally referred to rice flour or finely ground powder, then extended to any powder and to the pale pinkish color of such powders.