撑门面 (chēng mén miàn) — to keep up appearances, to maintain a façade (often through superficial measures)

Definition

A colloquial verb-object phrase meaning to keep up appearances or maintain a façade, usually through superficial effort. Carries a critical or self-deprecating tone — the speaker views the show as hollow.

verb
to keep up appearancesto maintain a façade (often through superficial measures)

Examples

  • 撑门面。
    Tā zhè yàng zuò zhǐ shì wèi le chēng mén miàn.
    He only does this to keep up appearances.
  • ，。
    Tā chēng le yì tiān de mén mian, qí shí hěn lèi.
    He put up a front the whole day, but actually he was exhausted.
  • 。
    Tā cóng lái méi chēng guò zhè zhǒng mén mian.
    She has never put on this kind of show before.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

撑chēngprop up
门面storefront
门méndoor面miànface/front
偏正Modifier + head

“撑” means to prop up, and “门面” is the storefront or face of a shop, so it means to keep up appearances.

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 撐; 撑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
牚
牚chēng撐chēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 撐 pairs 手 (hand) with 牚, which gives the sound; the simplified 撑 is a shorthand.

Open 撑 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →

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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