Definition
没脸 is a separable verb-object compound (没 + 脸) that means 'to lose face' or 'to be too ashamed to do something'. 脸 here refers to social 'face' (面子), so the expression carries cultural weight: losing face means losing dignity or respect. You can use it as a stative verb to describe your own shame, or before another verb to say you're too ashamed to do something (没脸 + verb). The object 脸 can be split off from 没: for example, 没这个脸 means 'not have this face' — a common split form.
v.o./s.v.
to lose faceto be disgracedto be too ashamed to (do something)
Examples
- ，没脸。Tā méi kǎo hǎo, jué de méi liǎn jiàn rén.He didn't do well on the test and feels too ashamed to face people.
- ，没脸。Wǒ zuò le cuò shì, méi liǎn zài gēn tā shuō.I did something wrong and am too ashamed to speak to her again.
- ，。Tā diū le gōngzuò, méi zhège liǎn jiàn péngyou.He lost his job and doesn't have the face to see friends.
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