面目
めんぼく · menboku · JLPT N1 · noun
reputation
😊 面 (face) + 目 (eye): your face is what your eyes show others; losing it means losing honor
面目 literally means face plus eye, the visible front of a person. Being 'without 面目' means you have lost your reputation and cannot look others in the eye.
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.'
めんもく · menmoku · JLPT N1 · noun
reputation
😶 面 (face) + 目 (eye): your face is what your eyes show others, so 面目 is the face you're seen with, your honor.
Two characters: 面 = face, 目 = eye, both parts of the face. Losing 面目 is losing face in public. Japanese めんもく keeps the same root.
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.'