HSK 6 Reading

面子

Mianzi

There’s no perfect English translation for the Chinese word miànzi — but it shapes nearly every social decision. From accepting a late-night mahjong invitation you hate, to buying a luxury car you can’t afford, “saving face” drives people to do things they’d rather not. This article explores the many faces of miànzi: loving it, losing it, giving it, and the famous idiom about “slapping your face to look fat.” A fascinating look at pride, pressure, and pretending.

🏷️ Chinese Culture 🏷️ Social Phenomenon 🏷️ Lifestyle

🎧 Full Article Audio

Click ➕ to Show Pinyin/Translation Click Underlined Word to Look Up

中国人很在意自己的面子。在英文中找不到与“面子” 对应的词，它的意思大概就是指一个人的形象或名誉。在中文中，有很多关于“面子”的词汇和表达，它们都反映了中国的面子文化。 ➕

Zhōngguó rén hěn zàiyì zìjǐ de miànzi. Zài Yīngwén zhōng zhǎo bù dào yǔ “miànzi” duìyìng de cí, tā de yìsi dàgài jiù shì zhǐ yí ge rén de xíngxiàng huò míngyù. Zài Zhōngwén zhōng, yǒu hěn duō guānyú “miànzi” de cíhuì hé biǎodá, tāmen dōu fǎnyìng le Zhōngguó de miànzi wénhuà.

Chinese people care a lot about their “face.” In English, there is no exact word that corresponds to “face.” It roughly refers to a person’s image or reputation. In Chinese, there are many words and expressions related to “face,” all of which reflect China’s face culture.

例如：爱面子，意思是一个人很在意自己的形象，害怕被人看不起，为了不在别人面前丢面子，去做一些自己不喜欢做的事情。例如朋友叫你一起去打麻将，虽然你不想去，但是因为很爱面子，不好意思不去，最后只好去了。没面子，是指一个人感觉很丢脸，尴尬的意思；伤面子，是指一个人觉得自尊心受到了伤害；给面子，是指照顾其他人的情面，使人面子上下得来。 ➕

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中国人爱面子，在买车这件事上体现得淋漓尽致。相比于质量，他们更注重汽车的品牌。很多人明明收入不高，生活并不富裕，却为了面子，费尽心力，甚至贷款去买一辆豪车。等熟悉了这辆车的一切，亲朋好友也都知道了他们的能力，这辆车也就不会再让他们觉得自己与众不同了，之后只会让他们面临巨大的经济压力。豪车在中国人眼中或许就是面子、身份的象征。这是典型的“打肿脸充胖子”。 ➕

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打肿脸充胖子，它的字面意思是把自己的脸打肿，为的是看起来更胖。这个成语比喻一个人为了面子，宁可付出很高的代价，也要做一些自己力不能及的事情。俗话说的好：打肿脸充胖子，死要面子活受罪。 ➕

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面子