miàn面facehóng红reděr耳earschì赤red
Flushed with anger or embarrassment; red in the face.
Literal meaning
face (面) — red (红) — ears (耳) — red (赤)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a physical reaction to strong emotion.
Examples
bèi被pī批píng评hòu后，tā他miàn面hóng红ěr耳chì赤。
After being criticized, he flushed with embarrassment.
tā他men们zhēng争lùn论de得miàn面hóng红ěr耳chì赤。
They argued until they were red in the face.
Usage & nuances
Describes a visible sign of strong emotion, usually anger or embarrassment.
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