耻 chǐ shame
shame; humiliation; ashamed
How to remember 耻: 耳 ear + 止 stop = shame. When the teacher reads his love letter aloud, the boy's ears burn red and he begs her to stop, wishing he could hide his shame.
Component breakdown
耻 = 耳 ear + 止 stop
- 耳 ear
- 止 stop
When the teacher reads his love letter aloud, the boy's ears burn red and he begs her to stop, wishing he could hide his shame.
How it is used
- The core word for shame/disgrace - 羞耻 (xiūchǐ) shame, 耻辱 (chǐrǔ) humiliation, 可耻 (kěchǐ) shameful, 无耻 (wúchǐ) shameless.
- As a verb "to feel ashamed of" in 不耻下问 (bùchǐ-xiàwèn) to not be ashamed to ask those below you - note the trap: 不齿 (bùchǐ, with 齿) means to despise, a different character with a near-identical sound.