无地自容
无地自容 (wú dì zì róng) literally means “no ground to contain oneself” and expresses “extremely ashamed; wish to disappear”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: wu di zi rong, wu di zi rong,无地自容 meaning, 无地自容 in english
Extremely ashamed; wish to disappear
Pronunciation: wú dì zì róng Literal meaning: No ground to contain oneself
Origin & Usage
No (无) ground (地) in which to put (容) oneself (自). 容 is to hold or contain, so the image is of the earth declining to make room: there is nowhere to stand that is out of view. That is more specific than embarrassment — what the phrase describes is shame with an audience, the exposure being the intolerable part. Public humiliation, and somebody caught in a thing they had denied; it is strong enough to be rarely used lightly.
Examples
English: "The public exposure left him feeling deeply ashamed."
Chinese: 公开曝光让他无地自容。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
自暴自弃
zì bào zì qì
Give up on oneself entirely
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画饼充饥
huà bǐng chōng jī
Empty promises satisfy nothing
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冷冷清清
lěng lěng qīng qīng
Deserted and lifeless atmosphere
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无师自通
wú shī zì tōng
Self-taught mastery
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人杰地灵
rén jié dì líng
A blessed land produces outstanding people
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天翻地覆
tiān fān dì fù
Dramatic upheaval
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天经地义
tiān jīng dì yì
Universal truth
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冰天雪地
bīng tiān xuě dì
Harsh conditions
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 无地自容 mean in English?
无地自容 (wú dì zì róng) literally translates to “No ground to contain oneself” and is used to express “Extremely ashamed; wish to disappear”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 无地自容 used?
Situation: The public exposure left him feeling deeply ashamed.
What is the pinyin for 无地自容?
The pinyin pronunciation for 无地自容 is “wú dì zì róng”.