Chinese word

愁眉苦脸

Pronunciation

Pinyinchóu méi kǔ liǎn

Meaning

  • idiomfrown

Example

听到坏消息，她不由自主地愁眉苦脸。tīng dào huài xiāo xī tā bù yóu zì zhǔ dì chóu méi kú liǎn

She frowns involuntarily when she hears the bad news.

Illustration for 愁眉苦脸 (frown)

More examples

孩子生病时，父亲常常一副愁眉苦脸的样子。hái zi shēng bìng shí fù qīn cháng cháng yí fù chóu méi kú liǎn de yàng zi

When the child is sick, the father often has a glum look.

Core concept

Worry weighs on the face and drains its usual liveliness.

Common phrases

  • 面露愁眉苦脸miàn lù chóu méi kú liǎn

    wear a frown

  • 显得愁眉苦脸xiǎn de chóu méi kú liǎn

    look glum

  • 一副愁眉苦脸的样子yí fù chóu méi kú liǎn de yàng zi

    have a glum look

Similar words

满面愁容mǎn miàn chóu róng: Fills the entire face with an unmistakable look of worry and sorrow.
愁眉不展chóu méi bù zhǎn: Shows a furrowed brow and an expression lacking its usual brightness.
面露愁色miàn lù chóu sè: Reveals a faint look of concern or sadness in the face.

Definition in Chinese

指人在面对坏消息或困难时，脸上流露出愁苦、无精打采或忧心忡忡的神情。zhǐ rén zài miàn duì huài xiāo xī huò kùn nán shí liǎn shàng liú lù chū chóu kǔ wú jīng dá cǎi huò yōu xīn chōng chōng de shén qíng

Word origin

It combines 愁 (chóu, "sorrow") + 眉 (méi, "eyebrows") + 苦 (kǔ, "suffering") + 脸 (liǎn, "face"), picturing distress written across the face.

Usage tips

  • English often names one facial movement, while this Chinese idiom presents the entire expression as visibly weighed down, making it useful for reactions to bad news.

Other meanings

  • look glumidiom

Opposites

  • 喜笑颜开xǐ xiào yán kāibeam with joyidiom
  • 满面春风mǎn miàn chūn fēnglook cheerfulidiom

Word lists with this word