蓬头垢面 (péng tóu gòu miàn) — (idiom) disheveled and grubby; unkempt appearance

Definition

A vivid chengyu (lit. "tangled hair, dirty face") describing someone whose hair is messy and face unwashed — strongly negative, used for a thoroughly unkempt appearance, stronger than just 邋遢.

idiom
disheveled and grubbyunkempt appearance

Examples

  • ，蓬头垢面，。
    Tā gāng cóng gōng dì huí lái, péng tóu gòu miàn de, kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng pí bèi.
    He just came back from the construction site, completely disheveled and looking very exhausted.
  • ，蓬头垢面。
    Tā zuì jìn tài máng le, cháng cháng péng tóu gòu miàn jiù qù kāi huì.
    She's been so busy lately that she often goes to meetings looking totally unkempt.
  • ，蓬头垢面，。
    Duō nián bú jiàn, tā biàn de péng tóu gòu miàn, wán quán méi le dāng nián de yīng qì.
    I hadn't seen him for years; he had become disheveled and ragged, completely losing the dashing look he once had.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蓬头disheveled hair
蓬péngdisheveled头tóuhair
偏正Modifier + head
垢面grubby face
垢gòugrubby面miànface
偏正Modifier + head

蓬 describes disheveled hair on 头, and 垢 describes a grubby 面, giving an unkempt look.

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
艸艸cǎovegetation
Sound part声符shēngfú
逢
逢féng蓬péng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蓬 pairs 艸 (vegetation) with 逢, which gives the sound.

Open 蓬 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 垢 →

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

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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