惭愧 cánkuì ashamed
How to remember 惭愧: 惭 ashamed + 愧 ashamed = ashamed.
Characters
How it is used
- The feeling of being ashamed of your own shortcoming or of not measuring up - 让您费心了,我很惭愧 (ràng nín fèixīn le, wǒ hěn cánkuì) I'm ashamed to have troubled you so much.
- Unlike 羞耻 (xiūchǐ, shame/disgrace, moral), 惭愧 is softer and self-directed - regret at falling short of an expectation, often used as a polite deflection when praised.
- Common set phrase: 感到惭愧 (gǎndào cánkuì, to feel ashamed). Register is neutral-to-humble.
Example sentences
- 我对我自己感到惭愧。 Wǒ duì wǒ zìjǐ gǎndào cánkuì.I'm ashamed of myself.