面条
noodles
miàntiáo
What does 面条 mean?
面条 (miàntiáo) is the noun for 'noodles' — long strips of wheat dough, typically boiled and served in soup or with sauce. Literally 'flour strips' — 面 ('wheat flour') + 条 ('long strip'). In conversation, especially in northern China, people often shorten it to 面 alone: 我想吃面 ('I want to eat noodles') is more natural than 我想吃面条. Noodles are a staple of northern Chinese cuisine, with regional dishes like 兰州拉面 (Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles), 炸酱面 (Beijing noodles with soybean paste), and 牛肉面 (beef noodles).
Two notes for English speakers. First, noodles symbolize long life, so they are eaten on birthdays — these are called 长寿面 ('longevity noodles') and traditionally should not be cut. Second, the standard measure word for a serving is 碗 (a bowl): order 一碗牛肉面
Character breakdown
flour; wheat-based food
long thin strip
Memory hook: 面 (flour) + 条 (long strip) = a long strip of flour dough = noodles.
Measure word for 面条
Example sentences
我今天想吃面条。
Wǒ jīntiān xiǎng chī miàntiáo.
I want to eat noodles today.
spoken
这家店的面条很好吃。
Zhè jiā diàn de miàntiáo hěn hǎochī.
The noodles at this restaurant are really tasty.
spoken
他给我做了一碗面条。
Tā gěi wǒ zuò le yì wǎn miàntiáo.
He made me a bowl of noodles.
neutral
中国北方人很喜欢吃面条。
Zhōngguó běifāng rén hěn xǐhuan chī miàntiáo.
People in northern China love to eat noodles.
neutral
生日的时候我们要吃长寿面。
Shēngrì de shíhou wǒmen yào chī chángshòu miàn.
On birthdays we eat longevity noodles.
neutral
Common phrases with 面条
Synonyms
面 alone is the natural spoken shortening — 我点了一碗面 ('I ordered a bowl of noodles'). 面条 is the full, slightly more formal word, useful when context could be ambiguous (since 面 also means 'flour' or 'side').
Don't confuse 面条 with
FAQ
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