你给人家一个台阶下
“Just give them a way out.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Those four old men have already got one foot in the grave.”
你给 人家 一个台阶下
“Just give them a way out.”
咱这戏还得排呢嘛 门缝缝都没有 爱排不排
“We still have to rehearse the play. Not a chance. Take it or leave it.”
“Stop humiliating them and give them a way out so we can actually finish this production.”
In Chinese interpersonal dynamics, cornering someone without leaving an honorable exit disrupts social harmony; providing a metaphorical step allows them to back down gracefully.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to give someone a way out / to provide an honorable retreat
A quintessential idiomatic phrase used whenever mediator or speaker advises de-escalation by preserving the other party's face.
them / other people (referring politely or sympathetically to a third party)
Softens the reference to third parties, frequently used when urging someone to be more considerate.
