To 'lose face' is to feel humiliated ; lose one's reputation. Lose face' began life in english as a translation of the Chinese phrase 'tie lien'.That phrase may also be expressed in English as 'to suffer public disgrace', i.e. to be unable to show one's face in public.In 1876, the consular official sir Robert Hart published a series of essays - These from land of sinim - which include this observation - "the country [china] begins feels that Government consented to arrangements by which china has lost face; to the officials have long been conscious that they are becoming ridiculous in the eyes of the people". Hart was well -regarded in both Britian and china.
'Save face' comes later. It has no direct equivalent in chinese and is merely the converse of 'lose face'. For more details visit site secondpen.com.
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