疚

jiù
久 + 疒

Definitions

jiù (noun) guilt; remorse
jiù (noun) chronic illness

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 久 represents the sound.

Semantic: 疒 Phonetic: 久

About

疚 is a phono-semantic compound that bridges physical illness and psychological distress. The semantic component is 疒, the 'sickness' radical, and the phonetic component is 久 (jiǔ, meaning 'a long time'), which gives the pronunciation jiù. Originally, it denoted a chronic, lingering physical ailment, but over time the focus shifted to the mental realm: prolonged suffering came to describe intense guilt, remorse, or a troubled conscience over past wrongdoings or moral failings.

Example Sentences Hide

我感到很内疚。

Wǒ gǎndào hěn nèijiù.

I feel very guilty.

他对自己的行为内疚。

Tā duì zìjǐ de xíngwéi nèijiù.

He feels guilty about his behavior.

她为说错话而内疚。

Tā wèi shuō cuò huà ér nèijiù.

She feels guilty for saying the wrong thing.

愧疚的心情难以平静。

Kuìjiù de xīnqíng nányǐ píngjìng.

The feeling of guilt is hard to calm.

他内疚地低下了头。

Tā nèijiù de dīxiàle tóu.

He lowered his head guiltily.

因为伤害了朋友，他深感愧疚。

Yīnwèi shānghàile péngyou, tā shēn gǎn kuìjiù.

Because he hurt his friend, he feels deep guilt.

每当想起那件事，他就感到无比内疚。

Měi dāng xiǎngqǐ nà jiàn shì, tā jiù gǎndào wúbǐ nèijiù.

Whenever he thinks of that matter, he feels extremely guilty.

尽管已经道歉，但他内心的愧疚感依然无法消除。

Jǐnguǎn yǐjīng dàoqiàn, dàn tā nèixīn de kuìjiù gǎn yīrán wúfǎ xiāochú.

Although he has already apologized, the sense of guilt in his heart still cannot be eliminated.

Related Characters

Component: 久

久 灸 玖 羑 畂 畝

Component: 疒

病 痛 疗 症 疾 疯 疼 疲 疫 癌 瘦 痕 瘤 痴

Example Words

内疚 愧疚 歉疚 负疚