没脸 (méi liǎn) — to lose face, to be disgraced; to be too ashamed to (do something)

Definition

没脸 (méi liǎn) means 'not have the face' — too ashamed to face someone or do something, often because of a mistake or failure. Used in set phrases like 没脸见人 ('can't face people') or 没脸说 ('too ashamed to say').

to lose faceto be disgracedto be too ashamed to (do something)

Examples

  • ，没脸。
    Tā méi kǎo hǎo, jué de méi liǎn jiàn rén.
    He didn't do well on the test and feels too ashamed to face people.
  • ，没脸。
    Wǒ zuò le cuò shì, méi liǎn zài gēn tā shuō.
    I did something wrong and am too ashamed to speak to her again.
  • ，。
    Tā diū le gōng zuò, méi zhè ge liǎn jiàn péng you.
    He lost his job and doesn't have the face to see friends.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

没méinot have
脸liǎnface

没 means not have and 脸 means face, so together they mean to lack face or be ashamed.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬛
𠬛𠬛沒mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.

Open 没 →

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 →

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