面试 (miànshì)

面试 means "interview" or "to interview" and specifically refers to a face-to-face evaluation, most commonly for a job or academic admission.

Meanings

[noun] interview; oral examination
[verb] to interview; to have an interview

Example Sentences

明天我有一个重要的面试。 Míngtiān wǒ yǒu yīgè zhòngyào de miànshì. I have an important interview tomorrow.

他面试了三家公司，最后选择了其中一家。 Tā miànshì le sān jiā gōngsī, zuìhòu xuǎnzé le qízhōng yī jiā. He interviewed at three companies and finally chose one of them.

面试时要注意穿着和言谈举止。 Miànshì shí yào zhùyì chuānzhuó hé yántán jǔzhǐ. During an interview, pay attention to your attire and behavior.

她顺利通过了面试，得到了这份工作。 Tā shùnlì tōngguò le miànshì, dédào le zhè fèn gōngzuò. She successfully passed the interview and got the job.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
参加面试	to attend an interview
通过面试	to pass an interview
面试官	interviewer
面试技巧	interview skills

Usage Notes

面试 literally means "face test" and specifically refers to in-person interviews, as opposed to written exams or phone calls. 面试官 (miànshì guān) is the interviewer. Preparing for a 面试 is a major topic in Chinese workplace culture, and the word appears frequently in job-seeking and HR contexts. The phrase 参加面试 (to attend an interview) is very common.

Memory Hook

面 (miàn) means "face" and 试 (shì) means "to test": a 面试 is literally a "face test," meeting someone face to face to be evaluated.