恥 meaning and stroke order
Shame, humiliation; ashamed
How to write 恥, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 恥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) shame; humiliation; disgrace
How 恥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
心 gives the meaning.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 恥
恥 puts an ear 耳 (ěr) beside a heart 心 (xīn). Picture hearing people talk about you and feeling it in your heart: that sting is shame.
恥 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 羞耻 (xiūchǐ), 可耻 (kěchǐ) and 无耻 (wúchǐ) rather than standing alone. Example: 说谎是可耻的。(Shuōhuǎng shì kěchǐ de.) Lying is shameful.
Common mistake: Learners in mainland contexts often expect to see 恥, but the simplified form is 耻, where 心 is replaced by 止. Both have 耳 on the left, so do not confuse either with 取 (qǔ), which has 又 on the right.
Common words with 恥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 恥辱 | chǐrǔ | disgrace; shame | HSK 7-9 |
| 可恥 | kěchǐ | shameful; disgraceful | HSK 7-9 |
| 恥笑 | chǐxiào | to sneer at sb; to ridicule | HSK 7-9 |
| 不恥下問 | bùchǐ-xiàwèn | not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates | HSK 7-9 |
| 羞恥 | xiūchǐ | (a feeling of) shame | |
| 無恥 | wúchǐ | without any sense of shame; unembarrassed | |
| 厚顏無恥 | hòuyánwúchǐ | shameless | |
| 不知羞恥 | bùzhīxiūchǐ | to have no sense of shame; brazen |
Questions about 恥
How many strokes are in 恥?
恥 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 恥 mean?
恥 (chǐ) means shame, humiliation; ashamed. A common word with it is 耻辱 (chǐrǔ), meaning "disgrace; shame".
How do you pronounce 恥?
恥 is pronounced chǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 恥?
The radical of 恥 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 恥 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 恥?
恥 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 耻, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 羞耻 and 耻辱?
羞耻 (xiūchǐ) is the inner feeling of shame, as in 羞耻心 (a sense of shame). 耻辱 (chǐrǔ) is a disgrace or humiliation that happens to you or your group, often public or historical.
What does 不耻下问 mean and when is it used?
不耻下问 (bùchǐ-xiàwèn) means not feeling ashamed to ask questions of people with less status or knowledge. It is used as praise for someone who is humble and eager to learn.