hi,
there are 6 sides on a cube.
how do you call each one of them?
left, right, front, back, top and bottom sides?
is it the same for any tridimensional object, like a TV or a telephone?
can I say “there is a compartment for the batteries on the bottom side of the laptop”?
thanks.
Shouldn’t we apply “surface” to a cube?
Hello Jctfgf,
Yes, you can refer to the front or back of an object (t.v. for example), and the left/right side, and the top or bottom.
However, you can just use the directional, without adding the word ‘side’. If you want to use the word ‘side’ that’s okay also, but not always necessary.
For example,
The batteries go in the bottom (side) of the radio.
The adapter plugs into the back (side) of the computer.
There’s a handle on the left and right (side) of the stereo.
Haihao, ‘surface’ is probably the right term to use if you’re talking about a 3-d shape in geometry, yes, but outside of geometry, ‘surface’ is normally reserved for a larger flat area, such as the surface of the lake, the surface of a window, the table surface, anything that has the sense of being the ‘top’ or external layer.
Otherwise, when talking about a 3-d shape, we’ll refer to the ‘sides.’ or simply the directionals.
Crystalclear and fullyconvincing, SKrej. 
Thank you!
thanks a lot!
jc
Aren’t they called “faces”?
hi,
is “face” what I would most likely listen from a native?
a native would never say “the side of the cube/dice”?
thanks.
You have already heard from a native speaker who confirms that in conversation we say “sides” all the time.
There are some board games that require an 8-sided die. (It doesn’t sound very natural to say “A die with 8 faces.”)
However, in geometry class (and geology, if you are studying crystals), the term “face” is used.
Did you like the response better when you got almost the same answer from BobK about faces?
sorry, barb_d, are you talking to me?