In this lesson you will learn how to properly use the English Idiom “Lose face”.
TRANSCRIPT
Lose face
Welcome to Day 5 of the Special Edition of Speak English with Tiffani. I am Teacher Tiffani and in this episode I will teach you exactly how to use the English body idiom “Lose face”.
Are you ready? Well then, let’s jump right in.
Definition
The idiom “Lose face“ can be defined in three different ways.
- The first definition of this idiom is “To suffer a loss of respect”
- The second definition of this idiom is “To be humiliated”
- And the third definition of this idiom is “To lose status or to become less respectable”
So, whenever you think of the face, you can also think of the English idiom “Lose face”.
Usage
Now, let’s see how you can practically use this idiom in real life.
First, you can use Lose face when speaking about finances.
When people can’t manage their finances well, they usually spend more money than they have in order to look good. At these times the idiom can be used like this, “Samantha is more afraid of losing face than losing money.”
Second, you can use Lose face when talking about friendship.
When people are trying to strengthen their friendships, sometimes they have to think carefully about how they speak to their friends. At these times the idiom can be used like this, “Things will go better if you can explain to him where he was wrong without making him lose face.”
Third, you can use Lose face when talking about things that happen at work.
When someone talks about what is going on at work, they sometimes mention the challenges they have with their employer. At these times the idiom can be used like this, “The boss lost face with his employees when he continually promised things that he couldn’t deliver.”
Fourth, you can use Lose face when someone is being stubborn.
When someone is being stubborn they usually only think about their thoughts or feelings. At these times the idiom can be used like this, “She refused to admit she made a mistake because she didn’t want to lose face.”
And finally fifth, you can use Lose face when speaking about good management.
When someone is discussing attributes of good management, they usually mention how a manager should protect his or her employees feelings. At these times the idiom can be used like this, “A good CEO can let someone know they’ve made a mistake without causing them to lose face.”
“Lose face”
Use it today!
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Until next time, try to use this idiom at least one time everyday. You can do it! You can Speak English!
~Teacher Tiffani’
Tiffani, thank you so much for thinking through these idioms and sharing them! There is an excellent book that explores Body Symbolism In the Bible, and most of the chapters begin with body idioms to demonstrate the way “body parts” are used in scripture to register the feelings, emotions, and thoughts of poets, prophets, sages, and people in general. As helpful as those examples are, they do not approach the wealth of examples you provide here. Perhaps you have heard of Pat Ogden’s work with Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She has mapped ways that our bodies—posture, gestures, facial expressions, movements, gait, etc.—carry… Read more »
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