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恥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
恥chǐshame, humiliation; ashamedzg, 10 strokes, radical 心, rank #86611, Very Hard
chǐ(chi3)chi T3
  1. 1shame, humiliation; ashamed
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March 24, 2026

恥chǐ(chi3)

The character 恥 (chǐ) means 'shame' or 'humiliation.' It is often used to express feelings of embarrassment or a sense of dishonor, both personally and socially. Common contexts include discussions about moral values, personal failures, or societal norms where one feels they have not met expectations.

Strokes10Radical心Frequency#86611DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of shame is closely tied to familial honor and social reputation. Public displays of shame can have significant consequences, as individuals often feel they bring dishonor not only to themselves but also to their families.

Memory tip

Imagine a person covered in a cloak of shame (恥). The left side of the character, '心' (xīn), represents 'heart,' suggesting that shame comes from deep emotional feelings. The right side, '知' (zhī), which means 'to know,' reminds you that shame often arises from knowing you've done something wrong.

Meanings of 恥

chǐ(chi3)
1shame, humiliation; ashamed
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 恥

恥Simplified
10Strokes
心Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 恥

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AI study notes for 恥

Quick Contrast

羞 (xiū) - use 恥 (chǐ) when referring to a deeper sense of shame or dishonor, while 羞 (xiū) often conveys a lighter sense of embarrassment or shyness.

Usage Notes

Be cautious of the tone when using 恥 (chǐ), as it can sound harsh in certain contexts. It is more commonly used in formal or serious discussions rather than casual conversations. Collocations include terms like '感到恥辱' (gǎndào chǐrǔ), meaning 'to feel ashamed.'

HSK Study Tips

Though 恥 (chǐ) is not included in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it is beneficial to learn alongside other emotional terms and expressions of feelings. Focus on how it can be combined with other words, such as '羞恥' (xiūchǐ), which means 'shamefulness.'

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 恥 (chǐ) with 羞 (xiū), which also means 'shame' but has a softer connotation. For example, saying '我感到羞' (wǒ gǎndào xiū) instead of '我感到恥' (wǒ gǎndào chǐ) can change the intensity of the expression.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 恥

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Etymology of 恥

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 止 represents the sound. Simplified form of 恥.

Memory hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)心
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 恥?

Decomposition of 恥

IDS Structure⿰耳心
恥Full character
=
耳er3
left
心xin1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 恥?

How to say shame, humiliation; ashamed in Chinese

“shame, humiliation; ashamed” in Chinese is恥chǐ

The character 恥 (chǐ) means 'shame' or 'humiliation.' It is often used to express feelings of embarrassment or a sense of dishonor, both personally and socially. Common contexts include discussions about moral values, personal failures, or societal norms where one feels they have not met expectations.

When to use 恥

Be cautious of the tone when using 恥 (chǐ), as it can sound harsh in certain contexts. It is more commonly used in formal or serious discussions rather than casual conversations. Collocations include terms like '感到恥辱' (gǎndào chǐrǔ), meaning 'to feel ashamed.'

恥 or something close to it

羞 (xiū) - use 恥 (chǐ) when referring to a deeper sense of shame or dishonor, while 羞 (xiū) often conveys a lighter sense of embarrassment or shyness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 恥 (chǐ) with 羞 (xiū), which also means 'shame' but has a softer connotation. For example, saying '我感到羞' (wǒ gǎndào xiū) instead of '我感到恥' (wǒ gǎndào chǐ) can change the intensity of the expression.

Write 恥

恥

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Word Family of 恥

Words containing this character20
无耻wúchǐunembarrassed無恥
耻辱chǐrǔdisgrace恥辱
羞耻xiūchǐ(a feeling of) shame羞恥
可耻kěchǐshameful可恥
耻chǐshame恥
廉耻honor and shame廉恥
国耻national humiliation, refers to Japanese incursions into China in the 1930s and 40s, and more especially to Mukden railway incident of 18th September 1931 九一八事變|九一八事变 and subsequent Japanese annexation of Manchuria國恥
耻笑chǐxiàoto sneer at sb恥笑
耻骨pubis恥骨
奇耻大辱extraordinary shame and humiliation (idiom)奇恥大辱
厚颜无耻shameless厚顏無恥
知耻to have a sense of shame知恥
恬不知耻to have no sense of shame恬不知恥
不知羞耻brazen不知羞恥
雪耻to take revenge for a past insult雪恥
不耻下问bùchǐxiàwènnot feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates不恥下問
礼义廉耻sense of propriety, justice, integrity and honor (i.e. the four social bonds, 四維|四维[sì​wéi])禮義廉恥
荒淫无耻shameless荒淫無恥
报仇雪耻to take revenge and erase humiliation (idiom)報仇雪恥
忍耻to endure humiliation忍恥
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 恥

What does 无耻 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 恥

In everyday language, 恥 refers to feelings of shame or embarrassment, often used when discussing moral failures.

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