下不来

下不來
xiàbùlái
phrase #32,608

Meanings

  1. 1 unable to come down / get off
  2. 2 embarrassed; awkward; cannot save face
  3. 3 (of a task) cannot be brought to a conclusion

Examples

Tā pá shàng qù le, kěshì xiàbùlái le.
He climbed up, but now he can't get down.
Nǐ zhèyàng shuō huì ràng tā liǎn shàng xiàbùlái.
If you put it that way, she'll lose face (lit. "her face won't be able to come down").

Tips

usage
Two senses: (1) literal — can't physically get down (off a tree, stage, etc.); (2) idiomatic, with (face): 脸上下不来 / 下不来 means "can't save face, embarrassed in front of others." The figurative use is the more common and more useful one to memorize.
grammar
Standard potential complement form: (down) + (negation) + (come) — "unable to come down." Affirmative is 得来 (xiàdélái, "can come down"), and the simple action is 下来 (xiàlái, "to come down").

Stroke Order

xià
lái