Chinese word

羞愧

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiū kuì

Meaning

  • adjectiveashamed

Example

他为自己的错误感到羞愧。tā wèi zì jǐ de cuò wù gǎn dào xiū kuì

He is ashamed of his mistake.

Illustration for 羞愧 (ashamed)

More examples

她在众人面前低下头，脸上露出羞愧的神色。tā zài zhòng rén miàn qián dī xià tou liǎn shàng lù chū xiū kuì de shén sè

She lowered her head in front of everyone, and a look of shame appeared on her face.

Core concept

The uneasy feeling that follows a mistake when embarrassment and a troubled conscience arrive together.

Common phrases

  • 深感羞愧shēn gǎn xiū kuì

    feel deeply ashamed

  • 满脸羞愧mán liǎn xiū kuì

    a face full of shame

  • 内心羞愧nèi xīn xiū kuì

    ashamed inside

Similar words

惭愧cán kuì: Being ashamed of one's conduct or result and feeling sorry inside.
愧疚kuì jiù: Being troubled by guilt after feeling responsible for another person's trouble or pain.
尴尬gān gà: Feeling embarrassed and unsettled when the social situation becomes awkward.
不好意思bù hǎo yì si: Feeling a little shy or embarrassed with someone and holding back from speaking directly.

Definition in Chinese

因自己的言行、错误或失礼而感到害臊和内疚，心里不自在。yīn zì jǐ de yán xíng cuò wù huò shī lǐ ér gǎn dào hài sào hé nèi jiù xīn lǐ bú zì zài

Word origin

羞 (xiū, "shame") names the embarrassing side of the feeling, while 愧 (kuì, "guilt") adds the sense of being at fault.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may use "embarrassed" for many minor awkward moments, but this Chinese word usually carries a stronger moral weight and is not just about feeling socially awkward.

Other meanings

  • embarrassmentnoun
  • sense of shamenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 羞愧感xiū kuì gǎnsense of shamenoun
  • 羞愧难当xiū kuì nán dāngunbearably ashamedidiom

Word lists with this word