難為情 / 难为情
nánwéiqíng
To say embarrassed in Chinese, use 難為情 / 难为情 (nánwéiqíng). It describes an inner feeling of shyness or shame. If unsure, use 難為情 / 难为情. Wiktionary also lists 尷尬 / 尴尬 (gāngà) and 狼狽 / 狼狈 (lángbèi).
Meaning: Having a feeling of shameful discomfort (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 難為情 / 难为情 | nánwéiqíng |
| 尷尬 / 尴尬 | gāngà |
| 狼狽 / 狼狈 | lángbèi |
To say you feel embarrassed, put 覺得 before it, as in 覺得難為情.
What does it mean word for word?
難為情 literally means it is hard to handle one's feelings.
Which one should you use?
尷尬 / 尴尬 (gāngà) is used more broadly for an awkward or uncomfortable social situation. 狼狽 / 狼狈 (lángbèi) describes being embarrassed because you are in a messy or pathetic state, often after a failure or mishap. 难堪 expresses humiliation and is stronger than 尴尬, and 丢人 conveys strong shame and disgrace.
How does it change in a sentence?
Like other adjectives, these words are often preceded by 很, as in 很尷尬.
How do you pronounce it?
Say nánwéiqíng with three rising tones.
When do people say it?
不好意思 is an informal phrase meaning to feel embarrassed or to be sorry, and people use it as a light apology.
Did you know?
- The term 狼狈 ('lángbèi') comes from a legend about a wolf and a mythical creature called 狈 ('bèi') that had to hunt together because one could not walk without the other.
- The mythological animal 狽 (bèi) had such short front legs and long back legs that it had to climb onto a wolf's back just to move.
- The word 尷尬 ('gāngà') is a reduplicative word, meaning its original form was an ideophone used to mimic a specific sound or feeling.
Examples in context
- 当我摔倒时，我感到非常尴尬。I felt really embarrassed when I fell.
- 面对那个问题，他感到局促不安。Facing that question, he felt extremely embarrassed.
- 他的行为真的很难堪。His behavior was really embarrassing.
- 我迟到了，真的很不好意思。I'm sorry I'm late, I feel really embarrassed.
- 他的舞姿太滑稽了，真丢人。His dance moves are so ridiculous, it's really embarrassing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “embarrassed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 尷尬, 狼狽, CC BY-SA 4.0.
