愁眉苦脸

愁眉苦臉
chóuméi-kǔliǎn
idiom HSK 7

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 chóuméi-kǔliǎn de? Fāshēng shénme shì le?
Why do you look so miserable? What happened?
Tā zhěngtiān chóuméi-kǔliǎn, 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