Meaning and Usage
"恥" (はじ) primarily means "shame" or "embarrassment." It refers to the feeling of discomfort or disgrace when one's actions or situation are socially or personally unacceptable.
Common Contexts
It is often used to express personal feelings of shame or embarrassment, but can also describe social disgrace. For example, "恥をかく" means "to be embarrassed" or "to lose face."
Collocations and Patterns
- 恥をかく: to be embarrassed or humiliated
- 恥ずかしい: embarrassing or shy
- 恥の上塗り: making a bad situation worse by adding more shame
Register and Nuance
"恥" is a formal and somewhat strong word for shame, often used in written language or serious conversations. It is less casual than "はずかしい" which is more about feeling shy or embarrassed.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "恥" with "はずかしい" which is an adjective meaning "embarrassed" or "shy." Remember, "恥" is a noun meaning "shame," so it often appears in set phrases or with verbs like "かく" (to feel or suffer).