愧 meaning and stroke order
Ashamed, regretful; the pangs of conscience
How to write 愧, stroke by stroke
12 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 愧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ashamed
- old variant of 愧[kui4]
How 愧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Heart.
忄 gives the meaning and 鬼 hints at the sound.
Radical: 忄 (heart), shared by 167 characters on this site.
How to remember 愧
愧 is a heart 忄 next to a ghost 鬼 (guǐ). Picture a guilty conscience haunting your heart like a ghost, and you have the feeling of shame; 鬼 also hints at the sound.
愧 rarely stands alone and usually appears in words like 惭愧 (cánkuì), 羞愧 (xiūkuì) and 愧疚 (kuìjiù). It also shows up in set phrases such as 问心无愧 and 当之无愧. Example: 他不愧是老师。(Tā bùkuì shì lǎoshī.) He truly deserves to be called a teacher.
Common mistake: Learners often read 愧 as guǐ because of the 鬼 part, but it is kuì with a fourth tone. Also, 不愧 is praise meaning "worthy of," not "not ashamed" in a negative sense, so do not use it to describe someone being shameless.
Common words with 愧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 羞愧 | xiūkuì | ashamed | HSK 7-9 |
| 惭愧 | cánkuì | ashamed | HSK 7-9 |
| 当之无愧 | dāngzhīwúkuì | fully deserving, without any reservations (idiom); entirely worthy (of a title, honor etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 不愧 | bùkuì | to be worthy of; to deserve to be called | |
| 愧疚 | kuìjiù | to feel guilty; to feel ashamed of oneself; to be remorseful | |
| 问心无愧 | wènxīnwúkuì | lit. look into one's heart, no shame (idiom); with a clear conscience |
愧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 愧
How many strokes are in 愧?
愧 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 愧 mean?
愧 (kuì) means ashamed, regretful; the pangs of conscience. A common word with it is 羞愧 (xiūkuì), meaning "ashamed".
How do you pronounce 愧?
愧 is pronounced kuì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 愧?
The radical of 愧 is 忄, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 愧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 愧?
The traditional form of 愧 is 媿. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 愧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 愧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 愧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 惭愧 and 羞愧?
惭愧 (cánkuì) is common and mild, often used modestly, like saying you have not done enough. 羞愧 (xiūkuì) is stronger and adds embarrassment, often showing on your face.
How is 愧疚 different from just feeling ashamed?
愧疚 (kuìjiù) focuses on guilt toward a specific person you feel you have wronged. For example, 我对父母很愧疚 means you feel guilty toward your parents.