Meaning
羞愧 describes the feeling of shame or embarrassment that arises from recognizing one's own wrongdoing, moral failure, or inadequacy. It combines the sense of embarrassment (羞) with deep regret or guilt (愧), creating a stronger emotional weight than simple embarrassment.
Usage
This word is used in both written and spoken Mandarin, though it's more common in formal or literary contexts. It typically describes a more serious, moral type of shame rather than mere social awkwardness. Often used with 感到 (gǎn dào, to feel) or 觉得 (jué de, to feel) to express the emotion.
Examples
- 01他为自己的行为感到十分羞愧。.He felt very ashamed of his behavior.
- 02她羞愧地低下了头，不敢看老师的眼睛。, .She lowered her head in shame and didn't dare look at the teacher's eyes.
Characters
Common collocations
- 感到羞愧to feel ashamed
- 羞愧难当unbearably ashamed
- 十分羞愧very ashamed
- 羞愧地ashamedly
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to shame. 羞 originally depicted a person offering lamb (羊) with their hand (手 radical), suggesting the embarrassment of offering something. 愧 combines the heart radical (忄) with 鬼 (ghost), suggesting inner torment of conscience.