Soy tímido
/soi timido/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I am shy" is said as Soy tímido.
The phrase is used to describe oneself as feeling nervous or timid around other people.
Which one should you use?
Soy tímido describes a permanent or long-term personality trait, whereas Estoy tímido would imply being shy only in a specific moment or temporary situation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb ser because shyness is being described as a personality trait or a characteristic. If the speaker is female, the adjective must change to the feminine form tímida.
When do people say it?
You can also use the informal phrase Me da vergüenza, which translates to "I feel embarrassed" but can be used to imply shyness.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American dialects, the word penoso is used instead of tímido to describe someone who is shy, though it literally means 'painful' or 'pitiful' in other contexts.
- The word vergüenza used in the context of shyness contains a ü with a diaeresis. This small mark tells the speaker to pronounce the 'u' sound, which is otherwise silent in the combination gue.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, saying soy tímido can be interpreted as a sign of modesty or humility rather than a social deficit.
Examples in context
- Realmente soy tímido(a)I am really shy
- Me pongo nervioso(a) en situaciones socialesI get nervous in social situations
- Me cuesta hablar con gente nuevaI find it hard to talk to new people
- Soy tímido con la gente nueva.I am shy with new people.
- No hablo mucho porque soy tímido.I don't talk much because I am shy.
- Perdón, es que soy tímido.Sorry, it's just that I am shy.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are meeting for the first time at a party.
- LucíaHola, Javier, ¿por qué no hablas?Hi, Javier, why aren't you talking?
- JavierHola, Lucía. Es que soy tímido.Hi, Lucía. It's just that I am shy.
- LucíaNo te preocupes, yo soy muy abierta.Don't worry, I am very outgoing.
- JavierGracias, poco a poco estaré mejor.Thanks, I'll feel better little by little.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
