害臊
hài sào · HSK 7
to feel ashamed
害 suffer/be afflicted by + 臊 shame = to suffer shame, i.e. feel bashful
害 here means to be afflicted by, not to harm; 臊 carries the sense of embarrassment. Together they mark someone overcome by shyness. The hài sào sound also rhymes internally, so the two falling tones drop like a downcast glance.
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'