面红耳赤

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: miàn hóng ěr chì
• English Translation: Flushed with anger or excitement (Red in the face)
• Idiom Composition: 「面」（Face）＋「红」（Red or to turn red）＋「耳」（Ears）＋「赤」（Crimson or red; used here to emphasize the intensity of the color）
• Meaning: A vivid description of a person's face and ears turning bright red due to intense emotions such as anger, embarrassment, anxiety, or extreme agitation.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「面红耳赤」 contains the following nuances:

• Intensity of Emotion: By mentioning that even the ears (耳 - ěr) have turned red, the idiom suggests a level of agitation or excitement where the person has lost their usual composure.
• Context-Dependent Causes: The idiom itself only describes the physical state of being flushed; the specific cause (anger, shame, or earnestness) must be inferred from the surrounding text.

3. Usage

「面红耳赤」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Heated Arguments: Used to describe people who are arguing so intensely that they become physically flushed. It often follows the verb 争 (zhēng), meaning to argue or debate.
  • Example:「为了这个方案的细节，他们在会议室里争得面红耳赤。」
    （They argued until they were red in the face in the meeting room over the details of this proposal.）
• Shame and Embarrassment: Describes the physical reaction to being caught in a lie, making a mistake, or being publicly criticized.
  • Example:「被老师当众批评后，他羞愧得面红耳赤，恨不得找个地缝钻进去。」
    （After being criticized by the teacher in front of everyone, he was flushed with shame and wished he could just disappear.）
• Anxiety or Tension: Describes the physical strain of being unable to speak clearly or struggling to explain oneself under pressure.
  • Example:「面对考官的提问，他紧张得支支吾吾，憋得面红耳赤。」
    （Facing the examiner's questions, he was so nervous that he stammered, turning beet red from the effort to speak.）

Additional Examples:

1. 哪怕是最好的朋友，有时候也会为了小事吵得面红耳赤。
   （Even best friends sometimes get into heated arguments over trivial matters.）
2. 他不善言辞，一跟陌生人说话就容易面红耳赤。
   （He is not good with words and easily gets flushed when talking to strangers.）
3. 看到自己当年的日记，她不禁面红耳赤。
   （Reading her old diary, she couldn't help but blush with embarrassment.）
4. 这两个醉汉在大街上骂得面红耳赤，引来了很多人围观。
   （The two drunks were shouting at each other until they were purple in the face, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• The expression is derived from '头红耳赤' (tóu hóng ěr chì), found in the Classified Conversations of Master Zhu (朱子语类), a collection of the teachings of the Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi (朱熹).
• Originally, it was often used to criticize people who argued unseemly over petty personal gains, though its modern usage has expanded to include any intense emotional flush.
• While the common phrase 脸红 (liǎn hóng) simply means 'to blush,' 面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ěr chì) is a more formal four-character idiom (chengyu) that provides a more dramatic and literary description of the physical reaction.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 脸红脖子粗 (liǎn hóng bó zi cū): Literally 'red face and thick neck'; a more colloquial way to describe someone who is flushed with rage during an argument.
  • 羞愧难当 (xiū kuì nán dāng): To feel unbearable shame; focuses on the internal feeling of embarrassment rather than just the physical flush.
  • 恼羞成怒 (nǎo xiū chéng nù): To fly into a rage out of humiliation or embarrassment.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 面不改色 (miàn bù gǎi sè): To not change color; remaining calm and composed even in a crisis or exciting situation.
  • 泰然自若 (tài rán zì ruò): To be perfectly composed and undisturbed; to keep one's cool.
  • 从容不迫 (cóng róng bù pò): Calm and unhurried.link

6. Summary

The idiom 面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ěr chì) captures the physical manifestation of strong internal feelings. It is most commonly used in the context of heated arguments or moments of deep shame, where the rush of blood to the face and ears makes one's emotional state impossible to hide.