恥はじを知しる

は

じ

を

し

る

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

know shame; have a sense of shame; be ashamed

Used to express that someone understands what is shameful and acts accordingly, often in negative or conditional forms to criticize shameless behavior.

あの政せい治じ家かは恥はじを知しらない。
That politician has no sense of shame.
恥はじを知しる者ものなら、そんなことはしない。
Anyone who knows shame wouldn't do such a thing.

Written forms

恥はじを知しる
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
はじを知しる
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji 恥 is considered difficult or when emphasizing the reading.

Kanji

恥shame, dishonor
知know, wisdom

Similar words

恥はずかしい
恥ずかしい is an adjective meaning 'embarrassing' or 'shy', describing a feeling, while 恥を知る is a verb phrase meaning 'to know shame' as a moral awareness.
恥はじをかく
恥をかく means 'to be embarrassed' or 'to lose face' due to a specific incident, whereas 恥を知る refers to a general sense of shame or moral compass.

Etymology

Compound of 恥 (haji, 'shame') + を (o, object marker) + 知る (shiru, 'to know'). The phrase literally means 'to know shame' and has been used in Japanese to denote moral awareness of shameful conduct.