Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Shameful; disgraceful; dishonorable: Describes a state or action that brings shame, disgrace, or dishonor to oneself or others, often due to morally reprehensible or cowardly behavior.
   • Ashamed; feeling shame: Describes the feeling of shame or embarrassment resulting from one's own actions or the actions of someone one is associated with.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Hành động phản bội của hắn thật là ê chệ! (His act of betrayal is truly shameful!)
  • Cả gia đình cảm thấy ê chệ vì hành vi của anh ta. (The whole family felt ashamed because of his behavior.)
  • Ê chệ thay cho những kẻ hại nước hại dân. (What disgrace for those who harm the country and its people!)

Advanced Usage

• Used in exclamatory phrases for strong condemnation: Often used in exclamations to express strong contempt and condemnation towards shameful acts or individuals.
  • Ê chệ! Lại một vụ tham nhũng nữa bị phanh phui. (For shame! Yet another corruption case has been exposed.)
• Implies a loss of face and social standing: The word carries a strong connotation of losing honor and respect in the eyes of the community.

Variants and Related Words

• Nhục nhã (adj): Humiliating, ignominious. Often used in similar contexts but can imply a more intense, degrading shame.
• Xấu hổ (adj): Ashamed, embarrassed. A more general and common term for feeling shame, less severe and condemnatory than "ê chệ".
• Ô nhục (adj): Disgraceful, ignominious. Refers to a stain on honor or reputation, similar in strength to "ê chệ".

Synonyms

• Đáng hổ thẹn: Deserving shame.
• Đáng xấu hổ: Deserving embarrassment/shame.
• Nhơ nhuốc: Sullied, tarnished (in reputation).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Mặt dày mày dạn: (Lit: Thick-skinned) Shameless, brazen. This describes a person who does feel "ê chệ" despite doing shameful things.
• Chui xuống đất vì xấu hổ: (Lit: To want to crawl into the ground from shame) To be extremely ashamed. This idiom describes the intense feeling associated with being "ê chệ".

1. Shameful; ashamed