容颜 (róngyán) is a literary and poetic noun meaning 'appearance' or 'facial features', especially when referring to a person’s face as an expression of beauty, age, emotion, or inner state. The character 容 (róng) means 'to contain', 'appearance', or 'demeanor', while 颜 (yán) specifically means 'face' or 'complexion'. Together, they form a compound that emphasizes the visible, often delicate or evocative, aspects of one’s face — not just physical structure but its expressive, aesthetic, or symbolic resonance.

This word appears frequently in classical poetry, song lyrics, and formal writing; it’s rarely used in casual speech. It often carries emotional weight — describing fading beauty, timeless grace, sorrow etched on the face, or the gentle radiance of youth. Because of its elevated register, 容颜 is unsuitable for technical or clinical contexts (e.g., medical reports), where terms like 面部 (miànbù, 'face') or 外貌 (wàimào, 'appearance') would be preferred.