麵

Phono-semantic compound:

麥 (보리 맥) — semantic, representing cereals and grains.

丏 (가릴 면) — phonetic, providing the sound 면.

Thus, the original meaning was “ground grain,” “food made of wheat,” and by extension, “noodles.”

The character depicts grain (麥) processed into fine powder — a reference to flour (wheat meal) from which noodles were made.

국수 (麵) — noodles

밀가루 (麵粉) — flour

면류 (麵類) — noodle dishes

냉면 (冷麵) — cold noodles

라면 (拉麵) — ramen; instant noodles

Although the official Hanja for 면 in these words is 麵, some historical or calligraphic sources may use 麪 interchangeably.

In ancient China, 麪 referred broadly to ground cereals, not exclusively noodles.

The specific concept of long, thin noodles (麪條) emerged later, during the Han to Tang dynasties, as milling and dough-stretching techniques developed.

The transition from “powdered grain” (flour) to “cooked dough strands” (noodles) mirrors technological progress in food culture.

Cultural notes:

Noodles made from 麪 (flour) became a defining staple of East Asian cuisine and culture:

장수면(長壽麵) — “longevity noodles,” eaten on birthdays.

라면(拉麵) — Japanese and Korean variants of hand-pulled noodles.

짜장면(炸醬麵) — Korean-Chinese black-bean noodles.

In literature and metaphor, 麪 (and its variant 麵) often represents humble sustenance or simplicity of life, standing in contrast to luxurious rice dishes.

Symbolic interpretation:

麪 symbolizes nourishment through transformation — the process of turning hard grain into soft, sustaining food.

It represents craft, patience, and sustenance, qualities associated with both humble kitchens and refined culinary art.

「麪以養人，柔中有剛。」

“Flour nourishes mankind — soft in form, yet strong in essence.”

麪 — original orthodox form (rare).

麵 — common traditional form (standard in most regions).

麺 — Japanese Shinjitai simplification.

面 — Chinese simplified form.

Although 麪 is the etymological standard, it is rarely used today.

Even in Hong Kong and Macao, textbooks typically teach 麪, but everyday writing overwhelmingly prefers 麵, since the phonetic component 丏 is obscure and rarely used elsewhere.

In Korea, 麵 is standard in all contexts (e.g. 냉면, 국수면), while 麪 appears only in academic or typographic works.

Across fonts and calligraphic traditions, the 夂 component of 麪／麵／麺 varies:

In some styles, the third stroke of 夂 is long and sweeping;

In others, it is short and tucked beneath the preceding stroke.

Such variation has calligraphic rather than semantic significance.