出丑

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出丑 [2025/08/07 23:57] – created xiaoer出丑 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
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-====== chūchǒu: 出丑 - To Make a Fool of Oneself, To Be Disgraced ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** 出丑, chuchou, make a fool of oneself in Chinese, embarrass oneself Chinese, lose face China, Chinese for embarrassment, how to say disgrace in Chinese, chou meaning, chu chou, what does chuchou mean, HSK 5 vocabulary. +
-  * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese term **出丑 (chūchǒu)**, which means to make a fool of oneself, be publicly disgraced, or lose face. This guide goes beyond a simple translation, exploring how **chūchǒu** is deeply connected to the cultural concept of "face" (面子 miànzi) in China. Understand its usage in daily conversation, see practical examples, and learn how to avoid common mistakes when talking about embarrassment in Mandarin. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** chūchǒu +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase (Separable Verb) +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 5 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** To make a fool of oneself or suffer public disgrace. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** **出丑 (chūchǒu)** is not just about feeling awkward; it's about a public act that makes you look foolish, incompetent, or undignified in the eyes of others. It implies a loss of social standing and reputation. Think of tripping on stage during a presentation, singing terribly at karaoke, or making a huge error in a business meeting—these are classic moments of **出丑**. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **出 (chū):** To go out, to emerge, to appear. Imagine something coming out from behind a curtain for all to see. +
-  * **丑 (chǒu):** Ugly, shameful, disgraceful. While its primary meaning is "ugly," in this context it refers to shame and disgrace. +
-  * The characters combine to literally mean "to bring out the shameful/ugly." This paints a vivid picture of exposing one's own embarrassing mistake or lack of skill to the public, causing disgrace. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-  * **出丑 (chūchǒu)** is inextricably linked to the core Chinese cultural concept of **[[面子]] (miànzi)**, or "face"—a combination of one's social standing, reputation, and dignity. To **出丑** is a primary way one can **[[丢脸]] (diūliǎn)**, or "lose face." +
-  * In a collectivist culture like China's, maintaining social harmony and a good public image is highly valued. An act of **出丑** is disruptive because it not only embarrasses the individual but can also reflect poorly on their family, company, or group. It's a public failure to meet social or professional expectations. +
-  * **Comparison with Western Culture:** In the West, "making a fool of oneself" is often a personal and temporary feeling of embarrassment. We might laugh it off and move on. While this can also happen in China, a significant **出丑** event can have more lasting damage to one's reputation. For example, if a Western manager misspeaks in a meeting, it might be seen as a simple gaffe. If a Chinese manager does the same, it could be perceived as a major **出丑** that undermines their authority and competence in a more serious way. The public nature and the loss of respect are the key components that make **出丑** a more potent concept than simple embarrassment. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-  * **出丑** is a common term used in both formal and informal situations to describe any public blunder. +
-  * **As a Separable Verb:** This is a crucial grammar point. **出丑** is a verb-object phrase, meaning you can insert other words in the middle. +
-    *   `出了一次丑` (chū le yí cì chǒu) - Made a fool of myself once. +
-    *   `出什么丑？` (chū shénme chǒu?) - What kind of fool did you make of yourself? +
-    *   `别出我的丑` (bié chū wǒ de chǒu) - Don't embarrass me / Don't reveal my embarrassing secret. +
-  * **Common Scenarios:** +
-    *   **Performance:** Singing badly at KTV, forgetting lines in a play. +
-    *   **Social Events:** Getting drunk and behaving inappropriately at a wedding or dinner. +
-    *   **Professional Life:** Giving a presentation with incorrect data, failing to answer a simple question from a client. +
-    *   **Daily Life:** Tripping and falling spectacularly in a crowded street. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 我真不希望在那么多人面前**出丑**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ zhēn bù xīwàng zài nàme duō rén miànqián **chūchǒu**. +
-    * English: I really don't want to make a fool of myself in front of so many people. +
-    * Analysis: This shows the common fear of public embarrassment. It's a direct and simple use of the term. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 他在婚礼上喝多了，结果**出了个大丑**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā zài hūnlǐ shàng hē duō le, jiéguǒ **chū le ge dà chǒu**. +
-    * English: He drank too much at the wedding and ended up making a huge fool of himself. +
-    * Analysis: This demonstrates the separable nature of the verb. `出了个大丑` (chū le ge dà chǒu) means "made a *big* fool," emphasizing the severity of the incident. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 如果你不好好准备，你会在面试的时候**出丑**的。 +
-    * Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ bù hǎohāo zhǔnbèi, nǐ huì zài miànshì de shíhou **chūchǒu** de. +
-    * English: If you don't prepare well, you will embarrass yourself during the interview. +
-    * Analysis: Here, **出丑** is used as a warning about the potential consequences of a lack of preparation. +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 我弟弟在卡拉OK唱歌跑调，让他**出丑**了。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ dìdi zài kǎlā OK chànggē pǎodiào, ràng tā **chūchǒu** le. +
-    * English: My younger brother sang off-key at Karaoke, which made him lose face. +
-    * Analysis: The structure `让(ràng) + someone + 出丑` means "to cause someone to make a fool of themselves." In this case, his own bad singing caused it. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 这次会议很重要，我们千万不能在客户面前**出丑**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhè cì huìyì hěn zhòngyào, wǒmen qiānwàn bù néng zài kèhù miànqián **chūchǒu**. +
-    * English: This meeting is very important, we absolutely cannot be disgraced in front of the client. +
-    * Analysis: This highlights the use of **出丑** in a professional, high-stakes context where reputation is critical. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 你就别再提我上次**出丑**的事了！ +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ jiù bié zài tí wǒ shàng cì **chūchǒu** de shì le! +
-    * English: Just stop bringing up that time I made a fool of myself! +
-    * Analysis: This shows how an act of **出丑** can become a past event that someone is sensitive about. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 为了不**出丑**，他花了好几个星期练习他的演讲。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wèile bù **chūchǒu**, tā huāle hǎo jǐ ge xīngqī liànxí tā de yǎnjiǎng. +
-    * English: In order not to make a fool of himself, he spent several weeks practicing his speech. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence frames **出丑** as a negative outcome to be actively avoided. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 穿着这么奇怪的衣服去派对，你这不是存心想**出丑**吗？ +
-    * Pinyin: Chuānzhe zhème qíguài de yīfu qù pàiduì, nǐ zhè búshì cúnxīn xiǎng **chūchǒu** ma? +
-    * English: Wearing such strange clothes to the party, aren't you just intentionally trying to make a spectacle of yourself? +
-    * Analysis: This rhetorical question implies that someone's actions are so absurd they seem intentional. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 她在舞台上滑倒了，但她很专业，没有让自己**出丑**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā zài wǔtái shàng huádǎo le, dàn tā hěn zhuānyè, méiyǒu ràng zìjǐ **chūchǒu**. +
-    * English: She slipped on stage, but she was very professional and didn't let herself get flustered (lit: didn't let herself make a fool of herself). +
-    * Analysis: This shows that one can recover from a potential blunder and *avoid* **出丑** through composure and professionalism. +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 这是我第一次做，做得不好请大家不要见笑，我只是不想**出丑**。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ dì yī cì zuò, zuò de bù hǎo qǐng dàjiā búyào jiànxiào, wǒ zhǐshì bùxiǎng **chūchǒu**. +
-    * English: This is my first time doing this, please don't laugh if it's not good, I just don't want to be disgraced. +
-    * Analysis: A common polite phrase to lower expectations before a performance or task, directly stating the desire to avoid **出丑**. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **`出丑 (chūchǒu)` vs. `尴尬 (gāngà)`:** This is the most critical distinction for learners. +
-    *   **[[尴尬]] (gāngà)** means "awkward" or "embarrassed." It can be a private feeling or a minor, uncomfortable social situation. (e.g., Calling someone by the wrong name is `尴尬`.) +
-    *   **出丑 (chūchǒu)** is more severe. It's always a **public** act that results in a loss of dignity or "face." It implies incompetence or foolishness. (e.g., Forgetting all your lines in a company-wide presentation is `出丑`.) +
-    *   **In short:** A situation can be `尴尬` without you `出丑`, but if you `出丑`, you will definitely feel `尴尬`. +
-  * **False Friend with "Ugly":** Do not mistake **出丑** to mean "to turn ugly" or "to point out someone is ugly." The character **丑 (chǒu)** here means "shameful/disgraceful," not physical unattractiveness. +
-  * **Incorrect Transitive Usage:** You cannot say "He `出丑` me." To express that someone caused you to be disgraced, you must use `让 (ràng)` or `使 (shǐ)`. +
-    *   **Incorrect:** 他**出丑**我。 (Tā chūchǒu wǒ.) +
-    *   **Correct:** 他**让我出丑**。 (Tā ràng wǒ chūchǒu.) - He made me make a fool of myself. +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[面子]] (miànzi) - "Face"; the concept of dignity, prestige, and social standing that is lost when one **出丑**. +
-  * [[丢脸]] (diūliǎn) - "To lose face." A direct synonym for [[丢人]] and the primary consequence of **出丑**. +
-  * [[丢人]] (diūrén) - "To lose face; to be disgraced." Very similar to [[丢脸]]. +
-  * [[尴尬]] (gāngà) - Awkward; embarrassed. A less severe feeling of social discomfort than the disgrace of **出丑**. +
-  * [[献丑]] (xiànchǒu) - Lit. "to present my ugliness." A self-deprecating, polite phrase used before you perform a skill (e.g., sing, play an instrument). It's a way of saying "I'll give it a try, please excuse my lack of skill," thereby managing expectations to prevent **出丑**. +
-  * [[洋相]] (yángxiàng) - A foolish act or ridiculous appearance. The phrase `出洋相 (chū yángxiàng)` is a very close synonym for **出丑**. +
-  * [[难看]] (nánkàn) - Lit. "hard to look at." Can mean "ugly," but also "shameful" or "embarrassing" when describing a situation. (e.g., `场面很难看` - The scene was very embarrassing).+