Chinese word

闭门羹

Pronunciation

Pinyinbì mén gēng

Meaning

  • nounbeing turned away

Example

他去应聘，结果吃了闭门羹。tā qù yìng pìn jié guǒ chī le bì mén gēng

He went to apply for a job, but he was turned away.

Illustration for 闭门羹 (being turned away)

More examples

他去拜访出版社，被编辑直接给了闭门羹。tā qù bài fǎng chū bǎn shè bèi biān jí zhí jiē gěi le bì mén gēng

He visited a publishing house, but the editor turned him away outright.

Core concept

A hoped-for welcome becomes a closed door and a refusal, whether the request concerns entry, help, or a meeting.

Common phrases

  • 吃闭门羹chī bì mén gēng

    be turned away

  • 遭到闭门羹zāo dào bì mén gēng

    be turned away

Similar words

拒绝jù jué: Rejection of a request, application, or offer.
回绝huí jué: Turning down an invitation or proposal at once.
冷遇lěng yù: Unfriendly treatment that gives someone a cold reception.
冷落lěng luò: Being kept at a distance through cold or neglectful treatment.

Definition in Chinese

到别人处请求见面或办事时被挡在门外或被当面拒绝，泛指遭到拒绝或冷落。dào bié rén chù qǐng qiú jiàn miàn huò bàn shì shí bèi dǎng zài mén wài huò bèi dāng miàn jù jué fàn zhǐ zāo dào jù jué huò lěng luò

Word origin

闭 (bì, "close") + 门 (mén, "door") + 羹 (gēng, "thick soup") pictures a visitor denied entry and the soup normally offered, so the scene develops into a general image of rejection.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 吃 (chī, "eat") often comes before this noun, so a failed interview or unwelcome visit can be described with a food verb even when no meal is involved.

Other meanings

  • rejectionnoun
  • cold receptionnoun

Word lists with this word