qué vergüenza
/ke beɾɡwenθa/from spelling rules
The phrase "how embarrassing" in Spanish is qué vergüenza.
Qué vergüenza is an exclamation used to describe a situation that is shameful or to express that you personally feel self-conscious or embarrassed.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what) and vergüenza (shame or embarrassment).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to specify that a particular situation is causing you to feel the embarrassment, you can use the construction qué vergüenza me da, which literally translates to "what shame it gives me".
How do you pronounce it?
/ke beɾɡwenθa/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying qué vergüenza can be a polite way to decline an invitation or request without saying 'no' directly.
- If you call someone a sinvergüenza, you are calling them a scoundrel or a rogue. It literally describes someone who is 'without shame'.
- The word vergüenza is etymologically linked to the Latin verb vereor, which means 'to respect' or 'to revere'. This suggests that the original sense of shame was tied to a profound feeling of awe or fear toward a moral standard.
Examples in context
- Qué vergüenza para todos nosotros.How embarrassing for us all.This example shows how to use qué vergüenza to describe an embarrassing situation for a group.Tatoeba #7942850 by Seael, translation #5737413 by CM
- ¡Qué vergüenza!How embarrassing!This example shows the use of qué vergüenza as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #973004 by Shishir, translation #277273 by CK
- Qué vergüenza me dio cuando me tropecé en frente de todosHow embarrassing I felt when I tripped in front of everyone
- Es muy embarazoso llegar tarde a una reuniónIt is very embarrassing to arrive late to a meeting
- ¡Qué vergüenza, me puse rojo!How embarrassing, I turned red!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are at a party when a guest trips and falls.
- Sofía¿Viste lo que pasó?Did you see what happened?
- JavierSí, ¡qué vergüenza!Yes, how embarrassing!
- SofíaPobre hombre, se cayó frente a todos.Poor man, he fell in front of everyone.
- JavierÉl debe estar muy apenado.He must be very embarrassed.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, vergüenza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
