变脸

變臉

biànliǎn

verb #32,212

Meanings

1 to change face (Sichuan opera stunt of switching painted masks instantly)
2 to suddenly turn hostile
3 to change one's expression

Characters

Examples

川剧变脸是国家级非物质文化遗产。

Chuānjù biànliǎn shì guójiājí fēi wùzhì wénhuà yíchǎn.

Sichuan opera face-changing is a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

他一听这话马上就变脸了。

Tā yī tīng zhè huà mǎshàng jiù biànliǎn le.

The moment he heard that, his face darkened.

她刚才还笑着，转眼就变脸。

Tā gāngcái hái xiàozhe, zhuǎnyǎn jiù biànliǎn.

She was smiling a moment ago and turned hostile in a blink.

Tips

culture

On stage, 变脸 is a guarded Sichuan-opera secret: performers flick through painted silk masks so fast the audience can't see the swap. The figurative sense — to suddenly turn hostile — trades on exactly that startling shift from one face to another.

Stroke Order

变 biàn

脸 liǎn