How to Write 怍 (zuò) — Meaning “ashamed; embarrassed”

Imagine you suddenly (乍) feel your heart (忄) drop in shame when you realize you made a mistake. The visual of your heart sinking with the sound 'zuò' can help link the character to its meaning of embarrassment.

Write the heart radical first with three strokes: left dot, vertical line, then right dot. For the right side 乍, the order is left-falling stroke, then horizontal, vertical, and two horizontals. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke of 乍 too long—it should stop at the same height as the bottom of the radical.

怍 has 乍 on the right, 忏 has 千 (meaning thousand), and 忕 has 大 (meaning big). Their meanings are different: 怍 means ashamed, 忏 means to repent or confess, and 忕 means habitual or accustomed. Visually, the right-side components are distinct.

怍 is a literary character rarely used in everyday conversation; it appears in formal writing or idioms like 仰不愧怍, meaning to have a clear conscience without guilt. You may encounter it in classical texts or solemn contexts to describe deep shame or moral integrity.

Common words containing 怍 include: 愧怍 (kuì zuò) — Ashamed; having a guilty conscience.; 惭怍 (cán zuò) — ashamed; embarrassed; 仰不愧怍 (yǎng bù kuì zuò) — to have a clear conscience.