恥ずかしい
hazukashii[ha̠zɨka̠ɕiː]
The Japanese word for embarrassed is 恥ずかしい (hazukashii).
恥ずかしい covers a spectrum from feeling shy or socially awkward to feeling deep shame or embarrassment. While 恥ずかしい can mean 'ashamed' of a wrong action, it is most commonly used in daily conversation to mean feeling shy or socially awkward.
Meaning: Having a feeling of shameful discomfort (adj)
Which one should you use?
The form 気恥ずかしい (ki-hazukashii) specifically describes the feeling of being self-conscious or feeling awkward in a social situation.
How do you pronounce it?
hazukashii
Did you know?
- In English, you might feel 'embarrassed' by a compliment, but in Japanese, using 恥ずかしい can actually express a sense of modesty or being humbled by someone's kindness.
- The word 恥ずかしい appears in the Man'yōshū, the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, which dates back to around 759 CE.
- A common reaction to feeling 恥ずかしい is to laugh nervously, which can confuse English speakers who might mistake the laughter for mockery or lack of sincerity.
Examples in context
- 気恥ずかしいな。I am embarrassed.This sentence shows how to express a feeling of being embarrassed using 恥ずかしい.Tatoeba #9550302 by small_snow, translation #786536 by debian2007
- とても恥ずかしいです。I'm so embarrassed.This sentence shows how to express being very embarrassed using 恥ずかしい.Tatoeba #2060707 by bunbuku, translation #1891121 by CK
- トムはコンドームを買うのが恥ずかしい。Tom is embarrassed about buying condoms.This sentence shows how to express being embarrassed about a specific action using 恥ずかしい.Tatoeba #1683774 by bunbuku, translation #1682910 by Spamster
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hime and Kenta are talking about a mistake Hime made during a presentation.
- 陽葵 Himariみんなの前で間違えて、本当に恥ずかしい。Minna no mae de machigaete, hontou ni hazukashii.I'm really embarrassed that I made a mistake in front of everyone.
- 健太 Kentaそんなことないよ。誰も気にしてないと思う。Sonna koto nai yo. Dare mo kinishite nai to omou.That's not true. I don't think anyone cares.
- 陽葵 Himariでも、思い出して恥ずかしいよ。Demo, omoidashite hazukashii yo.But I feel embarrassed just thinking about it.
- 健太 Kenta陽葵は考えすぎだよ。Hime wa kangaesugi da yo.Hime, you're overthinking it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “embarrassed” translations and entries 恥ずかしい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 恥ずかしい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
