害臊

• Pinyin: hài sào
• Hanzi breakdown: 害 = feel, suffer; 臊 = 月 (flesh) + 喿 (noisy/rank) — a rank smell associated with shame and embarrassment

Meaning

To feel ashamed; to be embarrassed by one's own conduct.

A colloquial expression for shame rooted in awareness that one's behaviour violates moral or social norms. Slightly stronger than 害羞 in its moral dimension — 害臊 implies guilt over wrongdoing or disgraceful conduct, whereas 害羞 is simply shyness. Common in everyday speech and literary dialogue.

Examples

1. 他当众撒谎被揭穿后，羞得满脸通红，连头都不敢抬，十分害臊。 After his lie was exposed in front of everyone, he blushed bright red and didn't even dare lift his head—he was deeply embarrassed.
2. 你做了这种事，难道一点都不害臊吗？还有脸面在大家面前大言不惭。 After doing something like that, aren't you ashamed at all? And you still have the nerve to talk big in front of everyone.
3. 她想起自己年少时的莽撞行为，至今仍觉得害臊，不愿提及那段往事。 When she thinks back on her reckless behavior when she was young, she still feels embarrassed and doesn't want to bring up that part of the past.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday speech, moral criticism, literary dialogue

Tone: reproachful

Do Say

• 你居然把邻居的东西顺手拿走，这种行为实在让人害臊，赶紧去道歉吧。(You actually took your neighbour's belongings without asking — that kind of behaviour is truly shameful; go and apologise at once.)
• 他在同学聚会上炫耀自己从未做过的事情，事后被人揭穿，害臊得无地自容。(He boasted at the class reunion about things he had never done; when exposed afterwards, he was so ashamed he wished the ground would swallow him up.)

Don't Say

• 害臊 used for mild shyness without a moral dimension — use 害羞 for simple shyness; 害臊 specifically implies a sense of wrongdoing or disgrace

Origin & History

害 (to suffer, to feel) + 臊 (stench of shame, rankness) — to feel the stench of shame

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal