Definition
自愧不如 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'to feel ashamed that one is not as good as someone else'. It's used when comparing yourself to another person's ability, achievement, or quality and acknowledging your own inferiority with a sense of shame. The phrase literally translates to 'self-ashamed not-as-good' but is always used as a fixed expression, often in the pattern 在...方面自愧不如 or 相比之下自愧不如.
f.e.
to feel ashamed of one's inferiority compared to someone elseto acknowledge one's inadequacy with shame
Examples
- ,自愧不如。Tā de gāngqín tán de nàme hǎo, wǒ zhēn shì zì kuì bù rú.He plays the piano so well; I really feel ashamed of my inferiority.
- ,自愧不如。Zài xiězuò fāngmiàn, wǒ duì tā zì kuì bù rú.In terms of writing, I feel ashamed that I am not as good as him.
- ,自愧不如。Xiāng bǐ zhī xià, wǒ zì kuì bù rú le.By comparison, I feel ashamed of my inferiority.
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