Chinese word

出丑

Pronunciation

Pinyinchū chǒu

Meaning

  • verbembarrass oneself

Example

别在孩子面前出丑。bié zài hái zi miàn qián chū chǒu

Don't embarrass yourself in front of the children.

Illustration for 出丑 (embarrass oneself)

More examples

他在宴会上因为说错话而出丑。tā zài yàn huì shàng yīn wèi shuō cuò huà ér chū chǒu

He embarrassed himself at the banquet by saying the wrong thing.

Core concept

An embarrassing flaw or mistake becomes visible to other people and damages the person's public standing.

Common phrases

  • 当众出丑dāng zhòng chū chǒu

    embarrass oneself in public

  • 在公众面前出丑zài gōng zhòng miàn qián chū chǒu

    embarrass oneself in front of the public

Similar words

丢脸diū liǎn: To lose face and suffer shame when others mock or look down on one.
丢人diū rén: To bring shame on oneself and become regarded with less respect by others.
出糗chū qiǔ: To make an accidental, awkward mistake that causes people nearby to laugh.
丢人现眼diū rén xiàn yǎn: To disgrace oneself conspicuously in public and look embarrassing or ridiculous.

Definition in Chinese

在人前丢脸，因行为或失误被别人取笑或看轻。zài rén qián diū liǎn yīn xíng wéi huò shī wù bèi bié rén qǔ xiào huò kàn qīng

Word origin

出 (chū, "go out") + 丑 (chǒu, "ugly") presents ugliness as something brought into public view, which developed into the sense of public disgrace.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this verb can describe a minor awkward moment as well as serious humiliation, so the surrounding situation shows how strong the embarrassment is.

Other meanings

  • lose faceverb
  • make a spectacle of oneselfverb

Opposites

  • 出彩chū cǎishineverb

Word lists with this word