羞于启齿 (xiū yú qǐ chǐ) — to be too embarrassed to speak one's mind; to be too shy to say something

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'too embarrassed to bring something up' — usually about a sensitive request or admission that feels shameful to voice.

idiom
to be too embarrassed to speak one's mindto be too shy to say something

Examples

  • 羞于启齿，。
    Tā duì zì jǐ de guò qù xiū yú qǐ chǐ, hěn shǎo tí qǐ.
    He is too embarrassed about his past to talk about it and rarely brings it up.
  • ，羞于启齿。
    Yǒu xiē wèn tí, jí shǐ shì duì jiā rén yě xiū yú qǐ chǐ.
    There are some questions that one is too embarrassed to ask even to family members.
  • 羞于启齿。
    Tā xiū yú qǐ chǐ xiàng péng you jiè qián.
    He was too ashamed to borrow money from his friends.

Origin

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.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 啟; 启 is its simplified writing.

For 启, the traditional form 啟 comes from an earlier shape with 戶 (door) and 又 (hand), showing a hand opening a door.

Open 启 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 齒; 齿 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 齒 originally drew a mouth full of teeth, and later gained a part that gives a clue to its sound. The simplified 齿 is a later shorthand.

Open 齿 →

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