How to Write 羞 (xiū) — Meaning “shy or ashamed”

Imagine a sheep (羊) that feels ugly (丑) because its wool is messy, so it becomes shy and hides. This visual of an embarrassed sheep helps you recall the meaning of 羞 as shy or ashamed.

The top 羊 has three horizontal strokes, with the middle one shortest, and the bottom 丑 should not be too wide; the vertical stroke must align with the center. A common mistake is making the top part look like 美 by adding a large bottom stroke.

羞 uses 羊 on top and 丑 (ugly) below, giving a negative feeling. In contrast, 美 combines 羊 and 大 (big) to mean beautiful, and 羍 (rare) means a fat sheep with 羊 and 大 but different arrangement. The key visual difference is 丑 versus 大 below.

羞 appears in common words like 害羞 (shy) and 羞耻 (shame). It is often used in phrases like '别害羞' (don't be shy) to encourage someone. In Chinese culture, showing shyness can be seen as modest and polite.

Common words containing 羞 include: 害羞 (hài xiū) — Shy; 羞耻 (xiū chǐ) — shame; sense of shame; 羞愧 (xiū kuì) — ashamed and guilty.