讲情面 (jiǎng qíng miàn) — (verb) to be considerate of someone's feelings (面子); to spare someone's embarrassment in social contexts

Definition

Colloquial verb meaning to spare someone's feelings or save them embarrassment — literally 'give face'. More informal and everyday than 给面子, and focuses on the speaker's restraint rather than a deliberate act of respect.

verb
to be considerate of someone's feelings (面子)to spare someone's embarrassment in social contexts

Examples

  • ，讲情面。
    Tā shuō huà tài zhí, yì diǎn r yě bù jiǎng qíng miàn.
    He speaks too bluntly and doesn't consider others' feelings at all.
  • ，。
    Duì péng you yě yào jiǎng gè qíng miàn, bié tài yán lì.
    You should also consider face with friends; don't be too strict.
  • 讲情面，。
    Zhè jiàn shì nǐ dé duō jiǎng qíng miàn, bù rán bié rén huì bù gāo xìng.
    In this matter you need to consider face more, otherwise others will be unhappy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

讲jiǎngspeak of
情面feelings and face
情qíngfeelings面miànface
联合Side by side

讲 means to speak of, and 情面 means feelings and face: take someone's feelings into account.

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 講; 讲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
冓
冓gòu講jiǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 講 puts 言, say, beside 冓, which gave it its sound; the simplified 讲 is a later abbreviation.

Open 讲 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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 →

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