歉疚 (qiàn jiù) — to feel sorry, to have a guilty conscience

Definition

歉疚 describes a lingering, quiet guilt — feeling sorry to oneself, deeper than a simple apology. Unlike 道歉 (to apologize to someone), 歉疚 stays internal and unspoken.

verb

to feel sorryto have a guilty conscience

Examples

歉疚。
Tā yīn wèi méi néng bāng zhù péng you ér gǎn dào qiàn jiù.
He felt guilty because he couldn't help his friend.
歉疚。
Tā duì zì jǐ shuō guò de huà yì zhí xīn cún qiàn jiù.
She has always felt remorseful about what she said.
歉疚，。
Zhè jiàn shì ràng wǒ shēn gǎn qiàn jiù, wú fǎ shì huái.
This matter makes me deeply sorry and unable to let it go.

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