面めん目ぼく

also: めんもく · めいぼく

め

ん

ぼ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

face; honor; reputation; dignity

Refers to one's social standing, honor, or the respect one receives from others. Often used in expressions like 面目を保つ (to save face) or 面目が立たない (to lose face).

彼かれは失しっ敗ぱいして面めん目ぼくを失うしなった。
He lost face because of his failure.
この結けっ果かで、チームの面めん目ぼくは保たもたれた。
With this result, the team's honor was preserved.

noun

appearance; look

A less common, somewhat literary use referring to outward appearance or how something looks. Often seen in set phrases like 面目を一新する (to take on a completely new look).

改かい装そうして店みせの面めん目ぼくが一いっ新しんした。
The store's appearance was completely renewed after renovation.

See all 57 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の面めん目ぼくが立たたないto be unable to save one's face / to lose face
この失しっ敗ぱいでは会かい社しゃの面めん目ぼくが立たたない。
With this failure, the company can't save face.
面めん目ぼくを一いっ新しんするto completely change one's appearance or image
改かい装そうによって店みせの面めん目ぼくを一いっ新しんした。
The renovation gave the shop a completely new look.
面めん目ぼくにかかわるto be a matter of honor / to affect one's reputation
これは我わが家やの面めん目ぼくにかかわる問もん題だいだ。
This is a matter that affects our family's honor.

Expressions

面めん目ぼくを失うしなうlose face; disgrace oneself
面めん目ぼくを施ほどこすgain honor; win credit; bring glory
面めん目ぼくを潰つぶすlose face; be disgraced
面めん目ぼく丸まるつぶれcomplete loss of face; total humiliation
面めん目ぼく次し第だいもないtruly ashamed; deeply embarrassed; having no excuse

Kanji

面mask, face, features
目eye, class, look

Related words· 7

体たい面めん sense 1
体面 is a more formal word for public dignity or appearances, while 面目 focuses on one's personal honor or reputation among others.
名めい誉よN1sense 1
名誉 covers honor or prestige in a broad sense, including achievements and awards, whereas 面目 is specifically about social face and reputation.
顔かおN5sense 1
顔 is a casual, everyday way to talk about someone's reputation or standing (as in 顔を立てる), while 面目 is more formal and literary.
メンツN1
面目 appears in set phrases like 面目ない (ashamed) and centers on one's honor before others, whereas メンツ is more casual and focused on standing among peers.

Show 3 more

恥はじN2
面目 focuses on one's reputation or 'face' being lost, while 恥 is the broader feeling or state of shame itself.
威い信しん
面目 is a more everyday term for one's face or reputation in social situations, while 威信 is a more formal, weighty term for institutional prestige.
体てい裁さいN1
面目 refers to one's honor or reputation, while 体裁 refers more specifically to how a situation or thing looks on the surface.

Opposites

恥はじN2sense 1
恥 means shame or disgrace, the opposite of the honor and dignity expressed by 面目.

Don't confuse with

眼がん目もく sense 1
眼目 looks and sounds similar to 面目 but means 'main point' or 'crux' of a matter, not honor or reputation.
名めい目もくN1
面目 (honor, face) shares the kanji 目 and a formal register with 名目, but means one's reputation or dignity, not a nominal title or pretext.
面めん々めん
面目 (reputation, honor) shares the kanji 面 with 面々 but has a completely different meaning and reading.

Word family

不ふ面めん目ぼく
shame; disgrace; dishonor
面めん目ぼくない
ashamed; feeling shame
面めん目ぼく次し第だい
face; honour; reputation; dignity

Written forms

面目Usage100%
- めんぼく
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading めんぼく is the most common modern pronunciation.
- めんもく
  Alternate reading; somewhat less common than めんぼく but still widely understood.
- めいぼく
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
めいぼく
out-dated reading
めんもく

Etymology

From Chinese 面目 (miànmù), originally meaning 'face' or 'appearance'. The Japanese readings めんぼく and めんもく are both on'yomi, with めんぼく being a phonetic shift from めんもく. The reading めいぼく is an older, now obsolete variant.