The kanji 恥 (pronounced *haji*) fundamentally represents the feeling of shame, embarrassment, or disgrace. It encapsulates the emotional state experienced when one feels they have done something wrong, violated social norms, or been exposed in a negative way. It also relates to a sense of modesty or humility.

・On-yomi (音読み): *chi* ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): *haji*

⚫︎恥ずかしい Translation: embarrassing; shameful ⚫︎恥をかく Translation: to be ashamed; to lose face ⚫︎恥知らず Translation: shameless; impudent

The kanji 恥 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. The left side, ⺻ (also written as ⺾), is a simplified form of 肉 (niku/meat), indicating the body. The right side, 耳 (mimi/ear), acts as the phonetic component, suggesting the sound and also referring to the ear, which can be seen as the place of receiving information and being judged. The combination suggests the feeling of shame that impacts the body and how it is perceived by others, often triggered by what one hears or becomes aware of. The earliest forms show the character with the ear placed on the side that we see now.