家醜不可外傳 jiā chǒu bù kě wài chuán

keep family problems private; don't air scandals

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. family shames must not be spread abroad (idiom); fig. don't wash your dirty linen in public

Characters

Character Meaning
家 jiā HSK 1
home; family; classifier for families or businesses
醜 chǒu
ugly; clown; shameful
不 bù HSK 1
not; no; (negative prefix)
可 kě HSK 2
can; may; able to
外 wài HSK 2
outside; external; foreign
傳 chuán
to pass on; to spread; to transmit