扮鬼脸 (bàn guǐ liǎn) — to make a face, to grimace

Definition

A verb-object phrase (离合词) meaning 'to make a face / grimace' for fun or to be silly — note the split: 扮了一个鬼脸, not *扮鬼脸了一次. Used playfully, often at children or for humor.

verb
to make a faceto grimace

Examples

  • 扮鬼脸。
    Xiǎo hái zi xǐ huan duì bié rén bàn guǐ liǎn.
    Children like to make faces at others.
  • ，。
    Tā bàn le yí gè guǐ liǎn, bǎ dà jiā dōu dòu xiào le.
    He made a face and made everyone laugh.
  • 扮鬼脸，。
    Shàng kè shí bié bàn guǐ liǎn, zhè yàng bù lǐ mào.
    Don't make faces during class — it's rude.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

扮bànmake
鬼脸ghost face
鬼guǐghost脸liǎnface
偏正Modifier + head

扮 (make) and 鬼脸 (ghost face) combine: making a ghost face, hence grimace.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn扮bàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扮 pairs 扌 (hand, written in full as 手) with 分, which gives its sound.

Open 扮 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

鬼 originally drew a kneeling figure with an ugly face, perhaps a mask; the small lower right dot is a later added tail.

Open 鬼 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臉; 脸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān臉liǎn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 臉 combines ⺼ (肉, body part) with 僉 as a sound part; the simplified 脸 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脸 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.