愁眉苦脸

愁眉苦臉
chóuméi-kǔliǎn
idiom HSK 7-9

Meanings

  1. 1 to look worried and miserable
  2. 2 to wear a long face

Characters

Literally 'worried brows, bitter face' — a vivid portrait of someone visibly distressed.

Examples

Nǐ zěnme chóuméikǔliǎn de? Fāshēng shénme shì le?
Why do you look so miserable? What happened?
Tā zhěngtiān chóuméikǔliǎn, ràng rén dānxīn.
He looks worried and miserable all day, which makes people concerned.

Tips

usage
This idiom describes the visible appearance of unhappiness — furrowed brows and a pained expression. It's often used as a gentle nudge: '愁眉苦脸' (stop looking so miserable) is a common way to cheer someone up.

Stroke Order

chóu
méi
liǎn