1.
a beaming smile; a broad smile across one's whole face
A radiant, wholehearted smile that lights up one's entire face. Expresses genuine joy or delight.
満面 means "the entire face" and 笑み means "smile." Together, this expression describes a smile so broad that it fills the entire face — a genuinely joyful expression.
Usage
Almost always appears with the verb 浮かべる (to show/display on one's face) or で (with). Used in both written and spoken Japanese, often in narration or descriptions of emotional moments.
Common collocations
- 満面の笑みを浮かべる — to break into a beaming smile
- 満面の笑みで迎える — to greet with a broad smile
- 満面の笑顔 — a beaming face (variant with 笑顔)