怍
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: ashamed
💡 Think: 'heart (忄) suddenly (乍) feels shame'.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
怍 (zuò) means 'ashamed' or 'shameful'. It is composed of the heart radical 忄 (xīn), indicating emotions, and 乍 (zhà) for pronunciation. This character is most famous in the idiom 愧怍 (kuìzuò), meaning 'ashamed and uneasy'. In classical Chinese, 怍 often appears in literary works to describe a deep sense of moral embarrassment. It is less common in daily conversation but important for reading traditional texts.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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