The Chinese word 恬不知耻 is formed from the characters 恬 (calm/unperturbed), 不 (not), 知 (to know), and 耻 (shame). These are arranged sequentially where 恬 functions as an adverbial modifier describing the state, 知 is negated by 不, and 耻 is the object of 知, producing the literal meaning "calmly not knowing shame", which expresses shamelessness.