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辱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
辱rǔdisgraceng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔdishonorng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔto insultng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔto bring disgrace or humiliation tong, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔto be indebted tong, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔself-deprecatingng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔTaiwan pr. [rù]ng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔto insult, to humiliate, to abuseng, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
辱rǔTaiwan pr. [ru4]unknown, 10 strokes, radical 辰, rank #15109, Very Hard
rǔ(ru3)ru T3
  1. 1disgrace
  2. 2dishonor
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March 24, 2026

辱rǔ(ru3)

The character 辱 (rǔ) primarily means 'to insult' or 'to humiliate,' conveying a sense of dishonor or disgrace. It is often used in contexts involving personal affronts or situations that bring shame to an individual or group. Additionally, it can imply being indebted to someone in a self-deprecating manner.

Strokes10Radical辰Frequency#15109DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, maintaining face and honor is paramount, making the concept of 辱 particularly significant as it relates to social relationships and reputation. Insulting someone's honor can lead to severe consequences in both personal and professional contexts.

Memory tip

To remember 辱 (rǔ), think of a 'ruined reputation' where someone is 'insulted' (rǔ) by disgrace. The character features the radical 辶, which suggests movement, and the inner component 辱, which can remind you of 'rude' behavior that brings dishonor.

Meanings of 辱

rǔ(ru3)
1disgrace
2dishonor
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 辱

辱Simplified
10Strokes
辰Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#15109Frequency Rank

Podcast: 辱

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Podcast: 辱

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AI study notes for 辱

Quick Contrast

侮 (wǔ) vs 辱 (rǔ): use 辱 when emphasizing a sense of disgrace or dishonor, while 侮 focuses more on the act of disrespect without the same connotation of shame.

Usage Notes

This character is generally used in serious contexts and may come off as strong or formal. Common collocations include 辱骂 (rǔmà - to insult) and 羞辱 (xiūrǔ - to humiliate). Be cautious with tones; using the wrong tone may change the meaning significantly.

HSK Study Tips

Although 辱 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to themes of honor and respect found in other words at higher levels. Students should focus on understanding its emotional weight and usage in formal situations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 辱 with 侮 (wǔ), which also means to insult but has a slightly different nuance. For example, saying '我感到侮' (wǒ gǎndào wǔ) is incorrect; it should be '我感到辱' (wǒ gǎndào rǔ) to express feeling insulted.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 辱

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Etymology of 辱

Decomposition of 辱

IDS Structure⿸辰寸
辱Full character
=
辰chen2
enclosing
寸cun4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 辱?

How to say disgrace in Chinese

“disgrace” in Chinese is辱rǔ

The character 辱 (rǔ) primarily means 'to insult' or 'to humiliate,' conveying a sense of dishonor or disgrace. It is often used in contexts involving personal affronts or situations that bring shame to an individual or group. Additionally, it can imply being indebted to someone in a self-deprecating manner.

When to use 辱

This character is generally used in serious contexts and may come off as strong or formal. Common collocations include 辱骂 (rǔmà - to insult) and 羞辱 (xiūrǔ - to humiliate). Be cautious with tones; using the wrong tone may change the meaning significantly.

辱 or something close to it

侮 (wǔ) vs 辱 (rǔ): use 辱 when emphasizing a sense of disgrace or dishonor, while 侮 focuses more on the act of disrespect without the same connotation of shame.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 辱 with 侮 (wǔ), which also means to insult but has a slightly different nuance. For example, saying '我感到侮' (wǒ gǎndào wǔ) is incorrect; it should be '我感到辱' (wǒ gǎndào rǔ) to express feeling insulted.

Write 辱

辱

Practice writing 辱 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 辱

辱 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 9 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他时刻提防着任何有____尊严之事。

He is constantly on guard against any threat of humiliation.

Example sentences for 辱 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他时刻提防着任何有辱尊严之事。

tā shíkè dīfang zhe rènhé yǒu rǔ zūnyán zhī shì。

He is constantly on guard against any threat of humiliation.
2
.老师们被人用菜刀威胁,遭受人身侵犯和言语辱骂。

. lǎoshī men bèi rén yòng cài dāo wēixié, zāoshòu rénshēn qīnfàn hé yányǔ rǔ mà。

Teachers were threatened with kitchen knives, physically assaulted and verbally abused..
3
布坎南说法官的那番话侮辱了他。

bù kǎn nán shuōfǎ guān de nà fān huà wǔrǔ le tā。

Buchanan said he was insulted by the judge's remarks.
4
有人担心他会因丑闻而辱没了身份。

yǒurén dānxīn tā huì yīn chǒuwén ér rǔ méi le shēnfèn。

There were fears he would be dragged down by the scandal.
5
一有机会,同事们就会侮辱他们。

yī yǒujī huì, tóngshì men jiù huì wǔrǔ tāmen。

Their colleagues insulted them whenever the opportunity presented itself.
6
如果我不戴面纱就会有辱门楣。

rúguǒ wǒ bù dài miàn shā jiù huì yǒu rǔ mén méi。

It would dishonour my family if I didn't wear the veil.
7
其中一名学徒对着一名路过的警官说了一句侮辱他的话。

qízhōng yī míng xué tú duì zhe yī míng lùguò de jǐngguān shuō le yī jù wǔrǔ tā dehuà。

One of the apprentices made an insulting remark to a passing officer.
8
人们几乎都不把犯罪和罪犯视为一种耻辱。

rénmen jīhū dōu bù bǎ fànzuì hé zuìfàn shìwéi yī zhǒng chǐrǔ。

There is very little stigma attached to crime and criminals.
9
请原谅,我并非有意侮辱你。

qǐng yuánliàng, wǒ bìngfēi yǒuyì wǔrǔ nǐ。

Forgive me, I don't mean to insult you.
10
我很少读到像这篇文章般带有侮辱性的性别歧视的东西。

wǒ hěnshǎo dú dào xiàng zhè piān wénzhāng bān dàiyǒu wǔrǔ xìng de xìngbié qíshì de dōngxi。

I have rarely read anything so insultingly sexist as this article.

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Word Family of 辱

Compounds12
褥rùmattress, cushion; bedding
缛rùelegant, decorative, adorned
耨nòuto hoe, to rake; to weed
蓐rùstraw mat; rushes, reeds
嗕rù
溽rùmoist; humid, muggy
鎒nòu
傉nù
媷rù
搙nù
槈nòu
縟rùelegant, decorative, adorned
Words containing this character20
侮辱wǔrǔto insult
羞辱xiūrǔto baffle
耻辱chǐrǔdisgrace恥辱
荣辱róngrǔreputation榮辱
辱rǔdisgrace
辱骂rǔmàto insult辱罵
屈辱qūrǔto humiliate
污辱wūrǔto humiliate
凌辱língrǔto insult
受辱shòurǔinsulted
忍辱负重rěnrǔfùzhòngto endure humiliation as part of an important mission (idiom); to suffer in silence忍辱負重
奇耻大辱qíchǐdàrǔextraordinary shame and humiliation (idiom)奇恥大辱
荣辱与共róngrǔyǔgòng(of friends or partners) to share both the honor and the disgrace (idiom)榮辱與共
欺辱qīrǔto humiliate
丧权辱国sàngquánrǔguóto surrender territory under humiliating terms喪權辱國
胯下之辱kuàxiàzhīrǔfig. utter humiliation
玷辱diànrǔto dishonor
忍辱偷生rěnrǔtōushēngto bear humiliation to save one's skin (idiom)
含垢忍辱hángòurěnrǔto bear shame and humiliation (idiom)
忍辱含垢rěnrǔhángòuto eat humble pie
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 辱

What does 褥 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 辱

You can say '他辱骂了我' (tā rǔmà le wǒ) meaning 'He insulted me.'

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