愁眉苦脸
愁眉苦脸 (chóu méi kǔ liǎn) literally means “worried brows, bitter face” and expresses “look worried and unhappy”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: chou mei ku lian, chou mei ku lian,愁眉苦脸 meaning, 愁眉苦脸 in english
Look worried and unhappy
Pronunciation: chóu méi kǔ liǎn Literal meaning: Worried brows, bitter face
Origin & Usage
Worried (愁) brows (眉) and a bitter (苦) face (脸). 苦 is the taste, and using it of an expression is exact: the mouth of an unhappy person does what the mouth of somebody eating something bitter does. The phrase reports the face and leaves the cause open, which is why it so often turns up inside a question — 愁眉苦脸的，怎么了, what's the long face about. Visible low-level misery rather than grief, and usually with an implication that it could be cheered up.
Examples
English: "He's been looking gloomy ever since he heard about the budget cuts."
Chinese: 自从听说预算削减后，他一直愁眉苦脸。
Related Chinese Idioms
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Everlasting; eternal
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 愁眉苦脸 mean in English?
愁眉苦脸 (chóu méi kǔ liǎn) literally translates to “Worried brows, bitter face” and is used to express “Look worried and unhappy”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 愁眉苦脸 used?
Situation: He's been looking gloomy ever since he heard about the budget cuts.
What is the pinyin for 愁眉苦脸?
The pinyin pronunciation for 愁眉苦脸 is “chóu méi kǔ liǎn”.