脸上无光 (liǎn shǎng) — to lose face, to be disgraced (said of someone whose reputation or social standing suffers a blow)
Definition
An idiom meaning 'to lose face' — used when someone's reputation or social standing suffers. The face (脸) here is 面子; emphasis is on feeling shamed by an event (failing an exam, being criticized), not on one's own action.
idiom
to lose faceto be disgraced (said of someone whose reputation or social standing suffers a blow)
Examples
- ，脸上无光。Kǎo shì méi jí gé, tā jué de liǎn shǎng.He failed the exam and felt like he lost face.
- 脸上无光。Dāng zhòng bèi pī píng ràng tā liǎn shǎng.Being criticized in public made him lose face.
- ，脸上无光。Jiā rén fàn cuò, tā yě gēn zhe liǎn shǎng.When his family members made mistakes, he also lost face by association.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.