翻脸

翻臉
fānliǎn
verb #18,992

Meanings

  1. 1 to fall out with someone
  2. 2 to turn hostile
  3. 3 to turn against

Examples

Tāmen yīnwèi qián de shì fānliǎn le.
They fell out over money.
Tā shuō fānliǎn jiù fānliǎn, yīdiǎn miànzi dōu bù gěi.
She turns hostile at the drop of a hat, giving no face at all.

Tips

memory
(to flip) + (face) -- someone literally flips their face, going from friendly to hostile. The friendly face flips over to show an angry one.
usage
翻脸 is a common extension meaning to turn hostile and refuse to acknowledge someone -- burning bridges completely.

Stroke Order

fān
liǎn