没羞 (méi xiū) — shameless, unabashed

Definition

没羞 is a colloquial adjective meaning "shameless" or "unabashed," always used in criticism. It often pairs with 没臊 to form the fixed expression 没羞没臊 ("utterly shameless").

adjective
shamelessunabashed

Examples

  • 没羞，。
    Tā zhēn méi xiū, jū rán zuò chū zhè zhǒng shì.
    He is really shameless to actually do something like this.
  • 没羞，。
    Zhè hái zi méi xiū méi sào, yì diǎn yě bú pà shēng.
    This child is utterly shameless and not at all shy with strangers.
  • 没羞，。
    Tā zuò le cuò shì hái zhè me méi xiū, zhēn ràng rén shēng qì.
    He did something wrong and is still so unabashed — it really makes people angry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

没méihave no
羞xiūshame

没 is have no and 羞 is shame, so it means unabashed.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠬛
𠬛𠬛沒mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.

Open 没 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
丑
丑chǒu羞xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

羞 is built from 羊, a sheep, as the meaning part, and 丑 for the sound.

Open 羞 →

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