1.
deathly pale; white as a sheet
A state where one's face has lost all color, typically from shock, fear, illness, or extreme emotion.
彼は顔面蒼白になった。
He turned deathly pale.
知らせを聞いて顔面蒼白だった。
She was white as a sheet after hearing the news.
試験の結果を見て、顔面蒼白になる学生もいた。
Some students turned pale upon seeing their exam results.
事故の現場を目撃した人々は、みな顔面蒼白で立ちすくんでいた。
Everyone who witnessed the accident scene stood frozen, white as a sheet.
A four-character compound (四字熟語): 顔面 (face) + 蒼白 (pale, pallid). Describes the dramatic loss of color from the face.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 顔面蒼白になる: turn deathly pale
- 顔面蒼白で立ちすくむ: stand frozen, pale-faced
- 顔面蒼白の患者: a pale-faced patient
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 青ざめる: to turn pale — a verb form; more commonly used in everyday speech
- 血の気が引く: the blood drains from one's face — a vivid idiomatic expression for turning pale
- 真っ青になる: to turn completely pale/blue — casual and common
USAGE:
More dramatic and literary than 青ざめる. Commonly appears in novels, news reports about emergencies, and dramatic descriptions. Can be used as a na-adjective (顔面蒼白な表情) or as a noun with になる.