DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

抹不下臉

简抹不下脸 · 繁抹不下臉

Mandarin · pinyin mǒ bù xià liǎn

to be unable to keep a straight face (idiom)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

抹: mǒ · smear, apply, wipe off, erase
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
下: xià · under, underneath, below; down; inferior; bring down
臉: liǎn · face; cheek; reputation
脸: liǎn · face; cheek; reputation

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

3–4–4–3 · mo3 bu4 xia4 lian3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

5character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

抹不下臉 · find source passages ↗ · 抹不下脸 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

mut3 bat1 haa6 lim5

Cantonese word readings for 抹不下臉. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack