The word 好意思 is formed by combining the character 好 (hǎo), meaning "good" or "proper", with 意思 (yìsi), meaning "meaning" or "intention". Literally, it translates to "good meaning", but as a fixed phrase, it idiomatically functions to express whether one has the decency or nerve to do something, often used in negative or interrogative contexts to imply embarrassment or lack of shame.