丢人
Traditional: 丟人
dīu rén HSK 6

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

他作弊被抓,真丢人。
Tā zuòbì bèi zhuā, zhēn diūrén.
He was caught cheating, which is really shameful.
在公共场合吵架很丢人。
Zài gōnggòng chǎnghé chǎojià hěn diūrén.
Arguing in public is very embarrassing.
他因失败而感到丢人。
Tā yīn shībài ér gǎndào diūrén.
He felt ashamed because of his failure.
他真丢人。
Tā zhēn diūrén.
He is really shameful.
别丢人了。
Bié diūrén le.
Don't be embarrassing.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine literally 'dropping' (丢) a 'person' (人) in public - this visual of someone falling in front of others captures the essence of public embarrassment and losing face.

📝 Usage Notes

This is an informal word used primarily in spoken Chinese and casual writing. It's commonly used among friends, family, or in everyday situations to express personal embarrassment or to comment on someone else's embarrassing behavior.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used with degree adverbs like 真, 太, 好. Can function as predicate (我真丢人) or attribute (丢人的事). The structure '给+someone+丢人' means 'to bring shame to someone.'

🏯 Cultural Notes

Reflects the importance of 'face' (面子) in Chinese culture, where maintaining social dignity and avoiding public shame are significant values. The concept connects to collective identity - one's actions can bring shame to family, school, or work unit.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar to 尴尬 (gāngà - awkward/embarrassing) but 丢人 carries stronger negative judgment and implies shame, while 尴尬 is milder and describes uncomfortable situations. 丢脸 (diūliǎn) is essentially synonymous with 丢人.

Master this word with quizzes, flashcards & more

Learn 丢人 in CILI →

Related Words