丢脸

• Pinyin: diū liǎn
• Hanzi breakdown: 丢 = 一 + 去 (to lose); 脸 = 月 + 佥 (face, cheek — extended to mean social standing and reputation)

Meaning

To lose face; to be embarrassing; to bring shame upon oneself. Describes an act or situation that causes public embarrassment or damages one's social reputation.

Deeply rooted in Chinese social culture around 面子 (face/reputation). A 丢脸 act harms not just the individual but often the family or group. Carries stronger social weight than mere embarrassment — it implies a breach of dignity, propriety, or collective honour.

Examples

1. 他在众目睽睽之下情绪失控，事后深感丢脸，久久无法释怀。 He lost control of his emotions in front of everyone, and afterward he felt deeply humiliated and couldn’t get over it for a long time.
2. 这次谈判彻底失败，让公司在业界颜面尽失，被认为是极为丢脸的一役。 The negotiations failed completely, causing the company to lose face in the industry and be seen as a major embarrassment.
3. 家长过度担心孩子考试成绩会令自己丢脸，无形中给孩子带来了巨大的心理压力。 When parents worry too much that their child’s test scores will make them lose face, they end up putting tremendous psychological pressure on the child.

Usage Guide

Context: social norms, reputation, family, culture, colloquial

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 在公开场合与人激烈争吵是非常丢脸的行为，有损个人形象与职业声誉。(Getting into a fierce argument with someone in public is very embarrassing behaviour that damages both one's personal image and professional reputation.)
• 运动员在奥运会上作弊不仅是个人的丢脸，更是对整个国家荣誉的玷污。(An athlete cheating at the Olympics is not only personally shameful but a stain on the honour of the entire nation.)

Don't Say

• 他丢脸了他的家人 — use 他让家人丢脸了 or 他令家人颜面尽失; 丢脸 is intransitive and does not take a direct object; the person who loses face is always the subject

Origin & History

丢 (lose/drop) + 脸 (face — both the physical face and social standing)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal