红脸 (hóng liǎn) — to blush (face turns red from shyness or embarr…

Definition

A vivid verb meaning 'to turn red in the face' from either shyness/embarrassment or anger — the cause is given by context, not the word itself.

verb

to blush (face turns red from shyness or embarrassment)to get angryto flush with anger

。
Tā hài xiū dé hóng le liǎn.
He blushed from shyness.
。
Tā men liǎ cóng lái méi hóng guò liǎn.
The two of them have never had a quarrel.
，。
Tā zhè ge rén ài hóng liǎn, yì shuō huà jiù liǎn hóng.
He blushes easily — his face turns red as soon as he speaks.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

红 (turn red) applied to 脸 (face) means blush or flush with anger.

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 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

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.

Appears in