得とく意い満まん面めん

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JLPTN1

Meanings

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

triumphant air; smugness

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes a facial expression or attitude of obvious self-satisfaction, often with a nuance of smugness. Commonly used in the phrase 得意満面の笑み (a smug/triumphant smile).

彼かれは得とく意い満まん面めんの笑えみを浮うかべた。
He wore a smug smile.
試し験けんに合ごう格かくして、得とく意い満まん面めんで帰かえってきた。
Having passed the exam, he came home with a triumphant air.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

得とく意い満まん面めんの笑えみを浮うかべるto flash a triumphant, self-satisfied smile
彼かれはテストで一いち位いを取とり、得とく意い満まん面めんの笑えみを浮うかべた。
He came in first on the test and flashed a triumphant smile.
〈人ひと〉は得とく意い満まん面めんだsomeone looks utterly triumphant/smug
優ゆう勝しょうした選せん手しゅは得とく意い満まん面めんだった。
The champion athlete looked absolutely triumphant.
得とく意い満まん面めんで〈動どう詞し〉to do something with a triumphant, smug air
彼かれは得とく意い満まん面めんで自じ分ぶんの作さく品ひんを見みせた。
He showed off his work with a smug, triumphant air.

Kanji

得gain, get, find
意idea, mind, heart
満full, fullness, enough
面mask, face, features

Related words

得とく意いげ
得意げ is the common everyday word for looking proud or smug, while 得意満面 is a stronger, more literary yojijukugo describing a face overflowing with triumph.
鼻はな高たか々だか
鼻高々 focuses on the image of a puffed-up, proud nose and is used colloquially, whereas 得意満面 describes the whole face and reads as more formal.
誇ほこらしげ
誇らしげ conveys a gentler sense of pride without the smug edge that 得意満面 carries.
意い気き揚よう々ようN1
得意満面 focuses on a face beaming with pride, whereas 意気揚々 describes an overall triumphant bearing or gait.

Opposites

失しつ意い
失意 describes dejection or disappointment, the direct opposite emotional state to the triumphant self-satisfaction of 得意満面.

Don't confuse with

満まん面めんの笑えみ
満面の笑み just means 'a broad smile' with no hint of smugness, while 得意満面 specifically implies a triumphant, self-satisfied expression.

Built from

得とく意い+満まん面めん

Etymology

A yojijukugo combining 得意 (triumph, pride) and 満面 (whole face). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the phrase is conventionally used to describe a face beaming with self-satisfaction.