死要面子活受罪

1. • to go through hell for the sake of keeping up appearances (idiom)

Character by character

• 死(sǐ)die
• 要(yào)want
• 面(miàn)face
• 子(zi)noun suffix, as in 椅子 yǐzi "chair"
• 活(huó)live
• 受(shòu)receive
• 罪(zuì)guilt