Kanji: 羞 (Shame)
The kanji 羞 carries the core meaning of "shame," "embarrassment," or "humiliation." It originally depicted the act of offering a sheep as a gift, which evolved to convey the feeling of shyness or shame one might feel when presenting something.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): シュウ (shū)
Common Words & Usage:
羞恥心 (shūchishin) - Noun. A sense of shame, modesty, or embarrassment. This is the most common word featuring this kanji.
羞恥 (shūchi) - Noun. Shame, disgrace.
侮辱 (bujoku) - While this is the more common word for "insult," 羞 is focused on the feeling of being shamed.
Example Sentence:
Japanese: 彼は公衆の面前で転んで、強い羞恥心を感じた。
Romaji: Kare wa kōshū no menzen de koronde, tsuyoi shūchishin o kanjita.
English: He fell down in public and felt a deep sense of shame.
Mastering the correct stroke order for kanji like 羞 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of learning kanji writing.