破相

pòxiàng

verb #36,302

Meanings

1 to disfigure (esp. the face)
2 to be left with a facial scar
3 to lose one's good looks

Characters

appearance, face

Examples

那场车祸让他破相了。

Nà chǎng chēhuò ràng tā pòxiàng le.

That car accident left him disfigured.

演员最怕破相，因为脸就是饭碗。

Yǎnyuán zuì pà pòxiàng, yīnwèi liǎn jiùshì fànwǎn.

Actors fear facial scarring most—their face is their livelihood.

Tips

memory

破 'broken' + 相 'face/appearance' — literally 'broken face'. Almost always implies a visible scar or injury, not just looking tired.

Stroke Order

破 pò

相 xiāng