厚脸皮

This is an old revision of the document!

hòu liǎn pí: 厚脸皮 - Thick-skinned, Shameless, Brazen

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: hou lian pi, 厚脸皮, thick-skinned in Chinese, shameless Chinese, brazen, impudent, what does hou lian pi mean, Chinese face culture, mianzi, 脸皮厚
  • Summary: “厚脸皮 (hòu liǎn pí)” is a common Chinese term that literally translates to “thick-skinned face.” It is used to describe someone who is shameless, brazen, or impudent, often ignoring social norms, criticism, or embarrassment to get what they want. Far from being a compliment for resilience, “hòu liǎn pí” is a strong negative judgment. Understanding this term is essential for grasping the important Chinese cultural concepts of “face” (面子, miànzi) and social propriety.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): hòu liǎn pí
  • Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun
  • HSK Level: HSK 5
  • Concise Definition: Describes someone who is shameless, brazen, and impervious to criticism or embarrassment.
  • In a Nutshell: Imagine a person whose “face skin” is so thick that insults, criticism, or embarrassing situations simply can't penetrate it. This person acts without a sense of shame, often for personal gain, and doesn't care what others think of their behavior. It's a powerful and negative description, similar to calling someone “shameless” or “brazen” in English, but it's uniquely tied to the Chinese cultural value of maintaining “face” (面子).

Character Breakdown

  • 厚 (hòu): Thick. This character depicts a a cliff (厂) over the sun (日) with a child (子), originally representing something substantial or generous. In this context, it simply means “thick.”
  • 脸 (liǎn): Face. This refers to the physical face, but more importantly, the abstract concept of one's social standing, dignity, and reputation.
  • 皮 (pí): Skin or leather. The character is a pictogram of a hand skinning an animal.
  • The characters combine to form the literal meaning “thick-face-skin.” This vivid, literal image perfectly illustrates the metaphorical meaning: someone whose social sensitivity (the “skin” of their “face”) is so thick that they are immune to shame. A common and interchangeable variation is 脸皮厚 (liǎnpí hòu).

Cultural Context and Significance

  • The term 厚脸皮 (hòu liǎn pí) is inseparable from the foundational Chinese cultural concept of 面子 (miànzi), or “face.” In Chinese culture, “face” is not just about individual pride; it's a measure of one's reputation, social standing, and honor within a collective community. “Losing face” (丢脸, diūliǎn) is a profound social fear, as it can bring shame not just to the individual but also to their family or group.
  • A person described as 厚脸皮 is someone who flagrantly disregards this entire social system. They don't care about losing their own face, nor do they care about giving face (给面子, gěi miànzi) to others. This behavior is seen as a violation of social harmony and basic propriety.
  • Comparison to “Thick-skinned”: In Western, particularly American, culture, being “thick-skinned” can be a positive trait. A CEO, a politician, or an artist might be praised for being “thick-skinned” enough to handle harsh criticism and persevere. This implies resilience. 厚脸皮, however, is almost never positive. It implies a moral deficiency and a lack of self-respect. It's not about resilience to achieve a noble goal; it's about shamelessness to achieve a selfish one.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Connotation: Strongly negative and judgmental. It is an insult, though its severity can range from a lighthearted jab between close friends to a serious accusation.
  • Formality: Highly informal. Used in daily conversation, family arguments, online comments, but not in formal or professional writing.
  • Common Situations:
    • Cutting in line: Someone who pushes to the front of a queue is the classic example of being 厚脸皮.
    • Asking for unreasonable favors: A person who constantly asks for money, help, or freebies without any intention of reciprocating.
    • Refusing to admit fault: After making an obvious and serious mistake, someone who argues they were right and refuses to apologize.
    • Overly aggressive sales/flirting: A salesperson who won't leave you alone, or someone who continues to pursue another person romantically after multiple clear rejections.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 他做错了事还理直气壮，脸皮真厚。
    • Pinyin: Tā zuò cuò le shì hái lǐzhíqìzhuàng, liǎnpí zhēn hòu.
    • English: He did something wrong but is still acting all self-righteous, he's so shameless.
    • Analysis: This uses the common variation 脸皮厚 (liǎnpí hòu). It highlights the refusal to admit fault, a key aspect of the term.
  • Example 2:
    • 你怎么这么厚脸皮，又来找我借钱？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ zěnme zhème hòu liǎn pí, yòu lái zhǎo wǒ jiè qián?
    • English: How can you be so shameless, coming to borrow money from me again?
    • Analysis: A direct and confrontational use of the term. It's a strong accusation used when the speaker feels taken advantage of.
  • Example 3:
    • 那个销售员太厚脸皮了，我说了十次不要，他还不走。
    • Pinyin: Nàge xiāoshòuyuán tài hòu liǎn pí le, wǒ shuō le shí cì bú yào, tā hái bù zǒu.
    • English: That salesperson is so brazen; I told him “no” ten times and he still wouldn't leave.
    • Analysis: This shows how 厚脸皮 can describe someone who ignores clear social cues and boundaries out of persistence.
  • Example 4:
    • 为了追到她，他厚着脸皮每天都去她公司楼下等她。
    • Pinyin: Wèile zhuī dào tā, tā hòu zhe liǎnpí měitiān dōu qù tā gōngsī lóuxià děng tā.
    • English: In order to win her over, he shamelessly went to wait for her downstairs at her company every day.
    • Analysis: Here, 厚着脸皮 (hòu zhe liǎnpí) is used as a verb phrase, meaning “to brazenly do something.” The action itself is what's being described as shameless.
  • Example 5:
    • 他就是个厚脸皮，从来不在乎别人怎么评论他。
    • Pinyin: Tā jiù shì ge hòu liǎn pí, cónglái bú zàihu biérén zěnme pínglùn tā.
    • English: He's just a shameless person, he never cares how other people comment on him.
    • Analysis: This example shows 厚脸皮 being used as a noun to define someone's entire character.
  • Example 6:
    • 每次聚会他都白吃白喝，脸皮太厚了。
    • Pinyin: Měi cì jùhuì tā dōu bái chī bái hē, liǎnpí tài hòu le.
    • English: He comes to every party to eat and drink for free; he's so thick-skinned.
    • Analysis: “白吃白喝 (bái chī bái hē)” means to freeload. This behavior is a classic example of being 脸皮厚.
  • Example 7:
    • 我只好厚着脸皮去求他帮忙了，因为没有别的办法。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐhǎo hòu zhe liǎnpí qù qiú tā bāngmáng le, yīnwèi méiyǒu biéde bànfǎ.
    • English: I had no choice but to swallow my pride and go ask him for help, because there was no other way.
    • Analysis: This is a rare self-deprecating use. The speaker acknowledges that their action (begging for help) is potentially embarrassing, so they describe it as 厚着脸皮. The English translation “swallow my pride” captures this feeling well.
  • Example 8:
    • 那个男人厚脸皮地插队，假装没听见大家的抱怨。
    • Pinyin: Nàge nánrén hòu liǎn pí de chāduì, jiǎzhuāng méi tīngjiàn dàjiā de bàoyuàn.
    • English: That man shamelessly cut in line, pretending not to hear everyone's complaints.
    • Analysis: A textbook example of 厚脸皮 behavior in public—violating a clear social rule and ignoring the subsequent criticism.
  • Example 9:
    • 要想成为一个成功的推销员，有时候脸皮就得厚一点。
    • Pinyin: Yào xiǎng chéngwéi yí ge chénggōng de tuīxiāoyuán, yǒushíhou liǎnpí jiù děi hòu yìdiǎn.
    • English: If you want to be a successful salesperson, sometimes you need to be a bit more thick-skinned/brazen.
    • Analysis: This is the closest the term gets to neutral advice, but it still carries a slightly negative flavor. It's acknowledging that the job requires behavior that others might find shameless.
  • Example 10:
    • 他在会议上被老板骂了，但还是一副笑嘻嘻的样子，脸皮不是一般的厚。
    • Pinyin: Tā zài huìyì shàng bèi lǎobǎn mà le, dàn háishì yí fù xiàoxīxī de yàngzi, liǎnpí bú shì yìbān de hòu.
    • English: He got scolded by the boss in the meeting, but he still had a grin on his face; his skin is not just thick, it's on another level.
    • Analysis: The phrase “不是一般的 (bú shì yìbān de)” means “not ordinarily,” used here to emphasize the extreme degree of his shamelessness.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • False Friend: “Resilient” vs. “Shameless”: The most common mistake for English speakers is to equate 厚脸皮 with the positive/neutral English term “thick-skinned” (meaning resilient). In Chinese, if you want to praise someone's ability to handle pressure, you should use a term like 抗压能力强 (kàng yā nénglì qiáng), which means “strong ability to resist pressure.”
    • Incorrect: To be a doctor, you must be very 厚脸皮. (Sounds like: “To be a doctor, you must be very shameless.”)
    • Correct: To be a doctor, your ability to handle pressure must be strong. (当医生，抗压能力必须很强。 Dāng yīshēng, kàng yā nénglì bìxū hěn qiáng.)
  • Grammatical Flexibility: Remember that 厚脸皮 is versatile. It can be a noun (他是个厚脸皮 - He is a shameless person), an adjective (他很厚脸皮 - He is very shameless), or part of a verb phrase (他厚着脸皮… - He shamelessly…). The adjectival form is most commonly expressed as 脸皮厚 (liǎnpí hòu).

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 不要脸 (bú yào liǎn) - “To not want face.” A much more direct and aggressive insult than 厚脸皮. It's a blunt accusation of being completely shameless.
  • 脸皮薄 (liǎnpí báo) - Antonym. “Thin-skinned.” Describes someone who is easily embarrassed, shy, and overly sensitive to others' opinions.
  • 面子 (miànzi) - The core cultural concept of “face,” social standing, and honor. Someone who is 厚脸皮 is seen as having no regard for 面子.
  • 丢脸 (diūliǎn) - “To lose face.” The embarrassing outcome that a 厚脸皮 person is immune to feeling.
  • 给面子 (gěi miànzi) - “To give face.” The act of showing respect to someone to uphold their honor. A 厚脸皮 person often fails to do this for others.
  • 无耻 (wúchǐ) - A more formal and literary synonym for “shameless.” It carries a strong sense of moral condemnation.
  • 赖皮 (làipí) - To be a deadbeat; to shamelessly go back on one's word or refuse to pay a debt. It's a specific type of 厚脸皮 behavior.