惭愧

慚愧

cánkuì

adjective HSK 7 #9,142

Meanings

1 ashamed; embarrassed
2 feeling guilty and inadequate

Characters

ashamed; guilty

Both characters mean ashamed — together they express deep shame from recognizing one's own shortcomings.

Examples

我感到很惭愧，没有帮上忙。

Wǒ gǎndào hěn cánkuì, méiyǒu bāng shàng máng.

I feel ashamed that I wasn't able to help.

他的成绩让我自惭形秽。

Tā de chéngjì ràng wǒ zìcán-xínghuì.

His achievements make me feel ashamed of myself.

Tips

usage

惭愧 is a humble, self-directed shame — not the shame of being caught doing something wrong. It often appears in polite expressions: 惭愧惭愧 (how embarrassing) as a modest response to praise.

Stroke Order

惭 cán

愧 kuì