Definitions

chǐ (noun) shame; disgrace

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for shame, traditionally written as 恥, is composed of 耳 meaning "ear" and 心 meaning "heart", a structure that implies an internal sensation connected to what one hears. Its simplified counterpart, 耻, replaces the heart component with 止 meaning "to stop", thus modifying the ideographic suggestion to one of halt or restraint triggered by disgrace. Throughout its history, the character has carried the core meaning of dishonor or humiliation, with its application in texts reflecting evolving moral and social understandings of shame, while the structural change from heart to stop offered a different visual emphasis on the concept's effect.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他感到十分辱。

Tā gǎndào shífēn chǐrǔ.

He feels very ashamed.

这是一种无的行为。

Zhè shì yī zhǒng wúchǐ de xíngwéi.

This is a shameless act.

不要以失败为

Bùyào yǐ shībài wéi chǐ.

Do not be ashamed of failure.

他的行为让全家蒙

Tā de xíngwéi ràng quánjiā méng chǐ.

His behavior brought shame to the whole family.

她因说谎而感到羞

Tā yīn shuōhuǎng ér gǎndào xiūchǐ.

She felt ashamed for lying.

面对错误他毫无羞之心。

Miànduì cuòwù tā háo wú xiūchǐ zhī xīn.

Facing the mistake, he has no sense of shame.

如果你知道羞就应该道歉。

Rúguǒ nǐ zhīdào xiūchǐ jiù yīnggāi dàoqiàn.

If you know shame, you should apologize.

尽管他取得了成功但过去的无行为仍被记得。

Jǐnguǎn tā qǔdé le chénggōng dàn guòqù de wúchǐ xíngwéi réng bèi jìde.

Although he achieved success, his past shameless behavior is still remembered.