家丑

家醜

jiāchǒu

noun #34,474

Meanings

1 family scandal; family disgrace
2 skeleton in the closet

Characters

ugly; disgraceful

Examples

HSK 6

他从不在朋友面前提家丑。

Tā cóngbù zài péngyou miànqián tí jiāchǒu.

He never brings up family scandals in front of friends.

HSK 7-9

家丑不可外扬。

Jiāchǒu bù kě wàiyáng.

Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.

Tips

culture

家丑不可外扬 ('a family scandal must not be spread abroad') is the canonical proverb here, capturing the deep Chinese norm of protecting family face (面子). Western 'don't air dirty laundry in public' is the closest English equivalent.

Stroke Order

家 jiā

丑 chǒu