闭门羹 — “To be refused admission”
闭门羹 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be refused admission”. To be turned away at the door; to get the cold shoulder. Literally, “closed-door soup”.
闭门羹 Pronunciation and Pinyin
闭门羹 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 闭门羹
Origin and Story of 闭门羹
In ancient Xuancheng, there lived a renowned courtesan named Shi Feng, celebrated for her beauty, charm, singing, and dancing. Many wealthy young men and admirers flocked to her establishment, often crowding it.
Shi Feng categorized her visitors: for high-ranking guests, she would graciously come downstairs to greet them and even prepare a delicious soup as a sign of welcome.
However, for those she considered of lower status, she was unwilling to meet them. She would shut her door, refusing them entry, and this act of rejection was known as making them 'eat closed-door soup' (闭门羹).
Idioms Related to 闭门羹
More idioms starting with 闭
- bì闭guān关zhǔ主yì义policy of isolation
- bì闭guān关què却sǎo扫live in complete seclusion
- bì闭guān关jué绝shì市close borders and cease trade
- bì闭guān关zì自zhǔ主close borders and be self-reliant
- bì闭guān关zì自shǒu守isolate oneself from external influences
- bì闭guān关suǒ锁guó国close country to international intercourse
- bì闭kǒu口bù不yán言keep one's mouth shut
- bì闭kǒu口bù不tán谈refuse to talk about something
- bì闭kǒu口bǔ捕shé舌corner an adversary, render speechless
- bì闭kǒu口wú无yán言keep silent, speechless
- bì闭kǒu口jié结shé舌speechless and tongue-tied
- bì闭kǒu口cáng藏shé舌keep silent to avoid trouble
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Open the tool →Questions about 闭门羹
What does 闭门羹 mean?
闭门羹 (bì mén gēng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be refused admission”.
How do you pronounce 闭门羹?
闭门羹 is pronounced bì mén gēng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 闭门羹 literally mean?
Literally, 闭门羹 means “closed-door soup”. It is used to mean “to be refused admission”.
Where does 闭门羹 come from?
闭门羹 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 闭门羹?
拒绝客人进门叫做让客人吃闭门羹。