惭愧

• Pinyin: cán kuì
• Desglose de hanzi: 惭 = 忄(heart radical) + 斩 (to chop, phonetic — shame that cuts); 愧 = 忄(heart radical) + 鬼 (ghost, phonetic — an unsettling presence in the heart)

Significado

Avergonzado; con remordimiento; sentirse culpable por no estar a la altura.

More introspective and genuinely remorseful than 不好意思 (polite surface embarrassment). 惭愧 implies real moral regret — having wronged someone, failed a responsibility, or fallen short of a standard one holds dear. Frequently used in formal apologies, self-reflective writing, acceptance speeches, and statements of modesty. In classical Chinese, it is a standard expression of humility.

Ejemplos

1. 听说公司为了保住他的职位而牺牲了其他同事，他心里深感惭愧，久久难以释怀。
2. 老教授在颁奖典礼上动情地说，自己其实还差得很远，这份荣誉让他倍感惭愧。
3. 她为当年那个草率的决定感到惭愧，但时间无法倒流，只能向前看，努力弥补。

Guía de uso

Contexto: emotion, social, apology, self-reflection, humility

Tono: sincere

Correcto

• 我真的很惭愧，辜负了大家对我的期望。(I'm truly ashamed — I've failed to live up to everyone's expectations of me.)
• 他谦逊地说自己实在惭愧，还有很多地方需要向前辈们学习。(He said humbly that he was genuinely embarrassed and still had much to learn from his seniors.)

Incorrecto

• 我对这道菜感到惭愧。(惭愧 is about moral shame over one's actions or abilities — use 做得不太好意思端出来 for food that didn't turn out well)

Origen e historia

惭 (ashamed; 忄heart radical + 斩 phonetic, suggesting shame cutting at the heart) + 愧 (ashamed/guilty; 忄heart + 鬼 ghost/phonetic — something ghostly and unsettling lurking in the heart). Both characters carry shame at the heart level.

Contexto cultural

Generación: All ages

Contexto social: Universal