羞愧

xiū kuì · HSK 7

ashamed

羞愧 = 羞 shy/shame + 愧 guilt; two shame-words doubled up = deeply ashamed

Both halves already mean shame, so the compound stacks them for emphasis. 愧 carries the 心 heart radical on its left, marking it as an inner feeling: the guilt-pang felt in the heart.

More Chinese words · How Chinese works