1. Character Basics
2. Pronunciation
3. Meaning
- Ashamed,愧疚
- Guilty, 有罪的
- Remorseful, 悔恨的
- Conscience-stricken, 受良心谴责的
- Sorry, 抱歉的
4. Common Words
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "愧" is primarily used to express feelings of shame, guilt, or remorse. It is most commonly found in compound words that describe various emotional states related to guilt or shame.
我做错了这件事，感到很愧疚。(Wǒ zuòcuòle zhè jiàn shì, gǎndào hěn kuìjiù.) - I made a mistake in this matter and feel very guilty.
面对老师的表扬，我感到惭愧。(Miàn duì lǎoshī de biǎoyáng, wǒ gǎndào cánkuì.) - Facing the teacher's praise, I feel ashamed.
只要我们问心无愧，就不怕别人说什么。(Zhǐ yào wǒmen wèn xīn wú kuì, jiù bù pà biérén shuō shénme.) - As long as we have a clear conscience, we're not afraid of what others say.
他不愧是一位好医生。(Tā bù kuì shì yī wèi hǎo yīshēng.) - He is truly worthy of being a good doctor.
他的行为让我感到羞愧。(Tā de xíngwéi ràng wǒ gǎndào xiūkuì.) - His behavior makes me feel ashamed.
你应该为你的错误感到愧疚。(Nǐ yīnggāi wèi nǐ de cuòwù gǎndào kuìjiù.) - You should feel guilty for your mistake.
6. Cultural Background
The character "愧" holds significant cultural importance in Chinese society, reflecting traditional values of morality, ethics, and self-reflection. In Confucian philosophy, which has deeply influenced Chinese culture, the ability to feel shame and guilt is seen as an important moral compass.
The phrase "知耻近乎勇" (zhī chǐ jìn hū yǒng, knowing shame is close to bravery) from Confucian teachings emphasizes that recognizing one's own faults and feeling appropriate shame is a virtue that leads to moral improvement.
In Chinese culture, having a "问心无愧" (wèn xīn wú kuì, clear conscience) is highly valued. It represents living in accordance with one's moral principles and being able to face oneself honestly.
The concept of "愧" is also closely tied to the Chinese emphasis on social harmony and relationships. Feeling guilty about actions that may have harmed others or disrupted social harmony is considered a positive trait that helps maintain balance in community life.
7. Example Sentence
虽然我努力了，但还是没有达到目标，我感到很愧疚。
Although I worked hard, I still didn't achieve the goal, and I feel very guilty about it.
8. Memory Tips
To remember the character "愧", notice its structure: it consists of the heart/mind radical (忄) on the left and the character "鬼" (guǐ, ghost) on the right. You can associate this with the idea that guilt or shame is like a ghost weighing on one's heart.
A helpful mnemonic is to think of "愧" as "a ghost (鬼) in the heart (忄)", representing the uncomfortable feeling of guilt or shame that can haunt a person.
You can also connect the character "愧" with common expressions like "愧疚" (kuìjiù, guilty) or "问心无愧" (wèn xīn wú kuì, clear conscience) to help remember both its meaning and pronunciation.