唱红脸 (chàng gōng) — to play the good cop; to pretend to be generous and kind
Definition
A set phrase from Chinese opera: to play the good cop — pretending to be kind or generous, often as a tactic against an opponent playing the 白脸 (bad cop). Often used in negotiations or conflicts to mean taking the soft, agreeable role.
verb
to play the good copto pretend to be generous and kind
Examples
- 唱红脸，。Tā zǒng shì chàng gōng, ràng rén jué de hěn qīn qiè.He always plays the good cop, making people feel very warm.
- ，，。Zhè cì tán pàn, jīng lǐ chàng le yí gè hóng liǎn, wǒ chàng le bái liǎn.In this negotiation, the manager played the good cop, and I played the bad cop.
- 唱红脸，。Bié bèi tā chàng gōng piàn le, tā qí shí méi nà me hǎo xīn.Don't be fooled by her acting kind; she's not that nice.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.