羞耻心 (xiū chǐ xīn) — sense of shame

Definition

Refers to an inner moral compass — the feeling that stops you from doing wrong. It is a concrete quality a person either has or lacks, not a single fleeting emotion.

noun
sense of shame

Examples

  • 羞耻心。
    Tā méi yǒu yì diǎn xiū chǐ xīn.
    He doesn't have any sense of shame.
  • ，羞耻心？
    Zuò le zhè zhǒng shì, nǐ nán dào bù jué dé xiū chǐ xīn ma?
    After doing this kind of thing, don't you feel a sense of shame?
  • 羞耻心。
    xiū chǐ xīn Ràng rén bú zuò huài shì.
    A sense of shame prevents people from doing bad things.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

羞耻shame
羞xiūshame耻chǐshame
联合Side by side
心xīnheart/feeling

The heart or feeling that responds to shame gives a sense of shame.

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 →

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
耳耳ěr
Sound part声符shēngfú
止
止zhǐ耻chǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耻 is written with 耳 (ear) on the left and 止 on the right. Here 止 gives the sound, while 耳 is the meaning part.

Open 耻 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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