耻
shame, humiliation, ashamed
Strokes10
Readings
On'yomi
- チ
Kun'yomi
- は.じる
- はじ
- は.じらう
- は.ずかしい
Meaning
耻 centers on the painful feeling of shame or humiliation, and the state of being ashamed. It captures the internal sting of disgrace.
Study
Etymology
耻 is a variant form of 恥. It combines 耳 (ear) and 止 (stop), possibly suggesting the idea of stopping one's ears in shame. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
Imagine your ears (耳) stopping (止) in embarrassment, turning red with shame. The ear on the left and the stop on the right together capture the feeling of being ashamed.
Reading mnemonic
For チ, picture someone so ashamed they can only utter a tiny 'chee' sound, like a mouse squeaking in humiliation: chee -> チ.