唱红脸

唱紅臉

chànghóngliǎn

phrase #30,298

Meanings

1 to play the good cop
2 to play the role of the kind/heroic figure (in a good-cop/bad-cop pairing)

Characters

to sing; to perform (an opera role)

Examples

HSK 5

教育孩子时，妈妈唱红脸，爸爸唱白脸。

Jiàoyù háizi shí, māma chànghóngliǎn, bàba chàngbáiliǎn.

When raising the kid, mom plays the good cop and dad plays the bad cop.

HSK 6

谈判中总要有人唱红脸。

Tánpàn zhōng zǒng yào yǒu rén chànghóngliǎn.

In negotiations, somebody always has to play the good cop.

Tips

culture

From Beijing opera 京剧, where painted face colors signal character archetypes: 红脸 (red face) = loyal, brave, heroic (e.g. 关羽 Guan Yu); 白脸 (white face) = cunning, treacherous (e.g. 曹操 Cao Cao). Idiomatically, 唱红脸 / 唱白脸 became the classic "good cop / bad cop" routine.

usage

Almost always paired with 唱白脸 (play the bad cop). Common in parenting, sales, and negotiation contexts. Note the meaning is the opposite of English "red-faced" (embarrassed).

Stroke Order

唱 chàng

红 hóng

脸 liǎn