一＋量词＋抽象事物
a whole body, face or bellyful of something abstract: 一身本领, 一脸无奈
Structure
一 身／脸／肚子／腔 ＋ 抽象名词
What it means
Here 一 means “the whole”, not “one”: a body part or container (身, 脸, 肚子, 腔, 头) acts as a measure word for something abstract that fills it.
How it is built
一 + 身／脸／肚子／腔 + abstract noun, often after 有, 是 or 了, or alone as the predicate: 他学了一身本领 (he picked up a whole range of skills).
When to use it
一脸 + feeling is what shows on the face (一脸无奈, 一脸茫然); 一身 is skills or qualities someone carries (一身正气); 一肚子 is what is bottled up inside (一肚子委屈, 一肚子火, 一肚子学问).
Watch out
The number is fixed at 一. ✗ 两脸无奈 ✓ 一脸无奈. Match the container to the content: feelings on the face (一脸), skills or qualities on the body (一身), what is bottled up inside (一肚子).
Examples
相传身边的朝云笑他一肚子不合时宜，他听了哈哈大笑。
The story goes that Zhaoyun, his companion, teased him for having a bellyful of views out of step with the times, and he roared with laughter.
他在外面学了一身本领，回到家乡开了一家修车店。
He picked up a whole range of skills away from home, then went back to his home town and opened a car repair shop.
听说航班又延误了，乘客们一脸无奈。
Hearing the flight was delayed yet again, the passengers looked utterly resigned.
Learn this in Lesson 92 · HSK 6–7: 苏东坡的宋朝 (Su Dongpo’s Song dynasty)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →