颜面扫地 yán miàn sǎo dì lose face

Explanation

形容因做错事或遭遇不测而使名誉受损，颜面尽失。

Describes the loss of reputation or honor due to mistakes or mishaps.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的诗人，才华横溢，名满天下。一次，他应邀参加一位权贵的宴会。席间，李白喝得酩酊大醉，竟当众脱衣舞剑，引得满堂哄笑。事后，李白酒醒后，羞愧难当，颜面扫地。从此，他便很少参加这种场合，潜心创作，留下了许多千古流芳的诗篇。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu gè míng jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, cái huá héng yì, míng mǎn tiān xià. yī cì, tā yìng yāo cān jiā yī wèi quán guì de yàn huì. xí jiān, lǐ bái hē de mǐng dīng dà zuì, jìng dāng zhòng tuō yī wǔ jiàn, yǐn de mǎn táng hōng xiào. shì hòu, lǐ bái jiǔ xǐng hòu, xiū kuì nán dāng, yán miàn sǎo dì. cóng cǐ, tā biàn hěn shǎo cān jiā zhè zhǒng chǎng hé, qián xīn chuàng zuò, liú xià le xǔ duō qiāngu liú fāng de shī piān.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a famous poet named Li Bai. One day, he was invited to a banquet hosted by a powerful official. During the banquet, Li Bai drank too much and publicly took off his clothes and danced with a sword, causing everyone to laugh at him. Afterward, when Li Bai woke up, he was ashamed and lost face. From then on, he rarely participated in such occasions, focusing instead on his poetry, leaving behind many timeless poems.

Usage

多用于口语，形容因做错事或遭遇不测而使名誉受损，颜面尽失。

duō yòng yú kǒuyǔ, xíngróng yīn zuò cuò shì huò zāo yù bù cè ér shǐ míngyù shòu sǔn, yán miàn jǐn shī.

Often used in spoken language to describe the loss of reputation or honor due to mistakes or mishaps.

Examples

• 他这次考试失败，颜面扫地。

  ta zhe ci kaoshi shibai, yanmian saodi.

  He failed the exam this time and lost face.

• 在公众场合出丑，让他颜面扫地。

  zai gongzhong changhe chu chou, rang ta yanmian saodi.

  Making a fool of himself in public made him lose face.

Related Idioms

• 丢人现眼

• 无地自容

Opposite Idioms

• 扬眉吐气

• 光宗耀祖