📖 Meaning
It describes a situation where one finds it hard to decline a request or favor due to personal relationships or the need to save face. The idiom captures the social pressure that compels someone to agree even when they would rather not.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from Chapter 36 of Li Baojia's Qing dynasty satirical novel 'Officialdom Unmasked' (《官场现形记》). In the story, a provincial governor (湍制台) receives a request he cannot refuse because of personal ties and the obligation to preserve mutual face. The very next day he relays the request to the financial commissioner (藩台), and within three days the official appointment notice is posted. The episode illustrates how personal connections and face-saving often override formal procedures in bureaucratic life.
💡 Example Usage
他本不想去，但情面难却，只好答应了。
He didn't want to go, but found it hard to refuse out of personal consideration, so he had no choice but to agree.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 情面难却
- Pinyin: qíng miàn nán què
- Literal Translation: feelings, face, difficult, to refuse
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4