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蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面
蓬头垢面

蓬头垢面 — “To have disheveled hair and a dirty face”

蓬头垢面 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have disheveled hair and a dirty face”. To be unkempt, slovenly, and neglected in appearance, often implying poor living conditions or a lack of personal hygiene. Literally, “tangled hair and dirty face”.

Frequency

蓬头垢面 Pronunciation and Pinyin

蓬头垢面 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
蓬
péng15fleabane; disheveled; luxuriant
头
tóu5head
垢
gòu9dirt, filth, grime
面
miàn9face, surface, side, flour, noodles

Example Sentence with 蓬头垢面

他连续几天赶项目,忙得蓬头垢面,连饭都顾不上吃。
He had been rushing the project for several days, so busy that he looked disheveled and dirty, not even having time to eat.

Origin and Story of 蓬头垢面

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, Feng Gui, a man of Hui ethnicity, was known for his upright character and love for learning, particularly his deep understanding of Confucian classics. He was meticulous about his personal appearance.

One day, a slovenly scholar remarked that truly learned people never paid attention to their grooming. Feng Gui retorted, "Those with good character should all the more strive for neatness. It is not the case that only those with disheveled hair and dirty faces can be considered sages." The scholar left feeling disgruntled.

Idioms Related to 蓬头垢面

Synonyms of 蓬头垢面

  • bù不xiū修biān边fú幅unkempt in dress and manner
  • qiú囚shǒu首gòu垢miàn面disheveled hair and dirty face

Antonyms of 蓬头垢面

  • méi眉qīng清mù目xiù秀delicate features and bright eyes

More idioms starting with 蓬

  • péng蓬tóu头lì历chǐ齿dishevelled hair and sparse teeth
  • péng蓬tóu头lì厉chǐ齿disheveled hair and decayed teeth
  • péng蓬tóu头sàn散fà发with dishevelled hair
  • péng蓬tóu头chì赤jiǎo脚disheveled hair and bare feet
  • péng蓬tóu头xiǎn跣zú足disheveled hair and bare feet
  • péng蓬wū屋shēng生huī辉Humble home shines with honor
  • péng蓬hù户chái柴mén门humble dwelling
  • péng蓬hù户sāng桑shū枢humble dwelling
  • péng蓬hù户wèng瓮yǒu牖a humble dwelling
  • péng蓬yǒu牖máo茅chuán椽a humble dwelling
  • péng蓬shēng生má麻zhōng中Good environment fosters upright character
  • péng蓬shēng生má麻zhōng中,,bù不fú扶ér而zhí直Good environment fosters upright growth

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Questions about 蓬头垢面

What does 蓬头垢面 mean?

蓬头垢面 (péng tóu gòu miàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have disheveled hair and a dirty face”.

How do you pronounce 蓬头垢面?

蓬头垢面 is pronounced péng tóu gòu miàn in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 蓬头垢面 literally mean?

Literally, 蓬头垢面 means “tangled hair and dirty face”. It is used to mean “to have disheveled hair and a dirty face”.

Where does 蓬头垢面 come from?

蓬头垢面 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 蓬头垢面?

头发蓬乱,脸上很脏。旧时形容贫苦人生活生活条件很坏的样子。也泛指没有修饰。

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