破脸 (pò liǎn) — to fall out (with someone), to turn against, to have an open quarrel

Definition

破脸 (pò liǎn) is an informal verb meaning to have an open quarrel and turn against someone — 脸 here refers to 'face/relationship,' not the literal face. The verb splits as 破过两次脸 / 不想破脸.

verb
to fall out (with someone)to turn againstto have an open quarrel

Examples

  • 破脸。
    Tā men liǎ yīn wèi qián de shì pò liǎn le.
    The two of them fell out over money.
  • 。
    Wǒ gēn tā yǐ jīng pò guò liǎng cì liǎn le.
    I've already fallen out with him twice.
  • 破脸，。
    Dà jiā dōu bù xiǎng pò liǎn, suǒ yǐ yì zhí rěn zhe.
    Nobody wanted to fall out, so they kept putting up with it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

破pòbreak
脸liǎnface

破 means break, and 脸 refers to the face or social standing that is ruptured.

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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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