惭 (cán) is a Chinese character meaning “ashamed”. It is written from 忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 斩 (to chop; to behead), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “ashamed”
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Structure
忄 + 斩
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 慙，媿也。从心斬聲 (modern simplified form 惭 = ⿰忄斩, checked against hanzi-writer-data strokes)
Memory aid
Your heart (忄) feels cut (斩) when you realize you did wrong — that sharp sting is shame.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 惭愧cán kuìashamed; to feel ashamed惭 = cán
- 大言不惭dà yán bù cánto boast shamelessly; to talk big without blushing惭 = cán
Go deeper
All readings
ashamed
ashamed; feeling shame
因为自己有缺点、做错了事而感到不好意思。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 惭愧cán kuìashamed; to feel ashamed惭 = cán
- 大言不惭dà yán bù cánto boast shamelessly; to talk big without blushing惭 = cán
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 惭 mean?
惭 (cán) means ashamed; feeling shame.
How do you pronounce 惭?
It is pronounced cán.
What parts is 惭 made of?
忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 斩 (to chop; to behead), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 慙，媿也。从心斬聲 (modern simplified form 惭 = ⿰忄斩, checked against hanzi-writer-data strokes). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 惭 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 惭?
忄. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 惭?
Common ones are 惭愧 and 大言不惭. The reading of 惭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.