恥

• 読み: はじ
• ローマ字: haji
• 漢字の分解: 恥 (haji/chi) — shame; composed of 耳 (ear) + 心 (heart)
• 発音: /ha.dʑi/

意味

Shame; embarrassment; disgrace. A feeling of humiliation or loss of honour.

A noun central to Japanese culture, where shame plays a significant social role. 恥 can refer to personal embarrassment, social disgrace, or moral shame. The expression 恥をかく (to be embarrassed/to lose face) and 恥ずかしい (embarrassing/shy) are essential related words. Ruth Benedict's famous analysis of Japan as a 'shame culture' centres on this concept.

例文

1. 人前で転んで恥をかいた。
2. 知らないことは恥ではない。
3. 旅の恥はかき捨てという言葉がある。

使い方ガイド

場面: social situations, proverbs, culture

トーン: negative

起源と歴史

From Old Japanese haji. The kanji 恥 combines 耳 (ear) and 心 (heart) — the feeling in your heart when your ears burn with embarrassment.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal