How do you pronounce 唾面自干?

唾面自干 is pronounced tuò miàn zì gān in Mandarin Chinese.

Where does 唾面自干 come from?

唾面自干 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 唾面自干?

别人往自己脸上吐唾沫，不擦掉而让它自干。形容受了污辱，极度容忍，不加反抗。

唾面自干 — “Spit on face, let it dry itself”

唾面自干 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to endure extreme humiliation and insult without any retaliation or resistance; to turn the other cheek with utmost forbearance”. Literally, “Spit on face, let it dry itself”.

Frequency

唾面自干 Pronunciation and Pinyin

唾tuò
面miàn
自zì
干gān

唾面自干 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
唾	tuò	11	saliva, spit, disdain
面	miàn	9	face, surface, side, flour, noodles
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
干	gān	3	to do or dry

Example Sentence with 唾面自干

面对无端的指责和嘲讽，他选择了唾面自干，以显示自己的宽容。

Facing groundless accusations and ridicule, he chose to endure the humiliation silently to show his magnanimity.

Origin and Story of 唾面自干

During the Tang Dynasty, Lou Shide, a censor and later prime minister, was known for his magnanimity. He achieved numerous military victories and was highly esteemed by Empress Wu Zetian.

Once, his younger brother was appointed governor of Daizhou and asked Lou Shide for advice on handling difficult situations.

His brother said, 'If someone spits on my face, I'll just wipe it off.'

Lou Shide, however, advised him, 'No, you should let it dry by itself.' He explained that wiping it off might show resentment, which could escalate the conflict. By allowing it to dry naturally, one demonstrates extreme tolerance and avoids further confrontation, reflecting a philosophy of profound forbearance and patience in dealing with others.

Idioms Related to 唾面自干

Synonyms of 唾面自干

nì逆lái来shùn顺shòu受accept adversity with resignation

Antonyms of 唾面自干

zhēn针fēng锋xiāng相duì对to be sharply opposed

More idioms starting with 唾

Questions about 唾面自干

What does 唾面自干 mean?: 唾面自干 (tuò miàn zì gān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to endure extreme humiliation and insult without any retaliation or resistance; to turn the other cheek with utmost forbearance”.
How do you pronounce 唾面自干?: 唾面自干 is pronounced tuò miàn zì gān in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 唾面自干 literally mean?: Literally, 唾面自干 means “Spit on face, let it dry itself”. It is used to mean “to endure extreme humiliation and insult without any retaliation or resistance; to turn the other cheek with utmost forbearance”.
Where does 唾面自干 come from?: 唾面自干 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 唾面自干?: 别人往自己脸上吐唾沫，不擦掉而让它自干。形容受了污辱，极度容忍，不加反抗。

Copy the pinyin for 唾面自干 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.