片面 (piànmiàn) — One-sided, partial, biased
HSK 5 | adjective | considering only one aspect; partial; one-sided
片面 (piànmiàn)
片面 describes thinking or understanding that is one-sided, incomplete, or biased -- focusing on only one aspect of an issue while ignoring others.
Meanings
- [adj] one-sided; partial; biased; incomplete in perspective
Example Sentences
仅凭一次失误就否定一个人，这种看法太片面了。 Jǐn píng yī cì shīwù jiù fǒudìng yī gè rén, zhè zhǒng kànfǎ tài piànmiàn le. Judging a person based on a single mistake is too one-sided.
媒体的报道有时会让人产生片面的认识。 Méitǐ de bàodào yǒushí huì ràng rén chǎnshēng piànmiàn de rènshí. Media reporting can sometimes cause people to develop one-sided views.
我们应该全面地看问题，而不是采取片面的态度。 Wǒmen yīnggāi quánmiàn de kàn wèntí, ér bù shì cǎiqǔ piànmiàn de tàidù. We should look at problems comprehensively, rather than taking a one-sided approach.
他对这件事的了解很片面，只听了一方的陈述。 Tā duì zhè jiàn shì de liǎojiě hěn piànmiàn, zhǐ tīngle yī fāng de chénshù. His understanding of this matter is very partial -- he only heard one side's account.
片面地追求成绩可能会忽视学生全面发展的需要。 Piànmiàn de zhuīqiú chéngjì kěnéng huì hūshì xuéshēng quánmiàn fāzhǎn de xūyào. One-sidedly pursuing academic performance may neglect the need for students' all-round development.
任何复杂的社会问题都不应该用片面的眼光来看待。 Rènhé fùzá de shèhuì wèntí dōu bù yīnggāi yòng piànmiàn de yǎnguāng lái kàndài. No complex social problem should be viewed with a one-sided perspective.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 片面理解 | one-sided understanding |
| 片面观点 | one-sided viewpoint |
| 片面追求 | one-sidedly pursue |
| 看法片面 | view is one-sided |
| 片面性 | one-sidedness; partiality |
| 避免片面 | avoid being one-sided |
Usage Notes
片面 is the antonym of 全面 (quánmiàn, comprehensive/all-round). These two words are frequently used as a contrasting pair in critical thinking and argumentation: 片面的认识 (one-sided understanding) versus 全面的认识 (comprehensive understanding).
片面 always modifies nouns or functions predicatively (the view is one-sided). It is commonly used in critical discourse about thinking, analysis, media reporting, and policy. The character 片 means "a piece/fragment" and 面 means "face/side" -- looking at only one piece or face of something.
Memory Hook
片 = a slice/fragment (like 片段 -- fragment), 面 = side/face -- seeing only a fragment of one face -- one-sided, partial.