Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| خَجَل | ḵajal | masculine |
| عَيْب | ʕayb | masculine |
The term خَجَل is used to describe an uncomfortable or painful feeling. In a more formal context, other terms describe specific types of shame: عار conveys a strong sense of disgrace or dishonor, حياء refers to modesty or shyness and إحراج conveys embarrassment or awkwardness.
Which one should you use?
خَجَل refers specifically to the internal feeling of shyness, bashfulness or social embarrassment. In contrast, عَيْب refers to a sense of shame stemming from a social stigma, a fault or something considered dishonorable or 'shameful' in a social context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, the word خجلان is used to mean 'shameful' or 'embarrassed.'
How does it change in a sentence?
Both خَجَل and عَيْب are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ḵajal
When do people say it?
In many Arabic dialects, saying عَيْب is a common way to tell someone that their behavior is socially unacceptable.
Did you know?
- While خَجَل describes an internal feeling, the word حَيَاء is often viewed as a positive virtue in Islamic ethics, representing a refined sense of modesty that prevents one from doing wrong.
- In some Levantine contexts, the word مِحْرَج can describe a physical sensation of being constrained or cramped, moving the concept of embarrassment into the realm of physical space.
- The concept of عَار is so powerful in traditional contexts that it can historically extend to an entire family or tribe, not just the individual.
Examples in context
- عيب عليك!Shame on you!
- أَشْعُرُ بِالْخَجَلِI feel shame/embarrassment
- شَعَرْتُ بِالْخَجَلِ أَمَامَ الْجَمِيعِ.sha'artu bil-khajali amama al-jami'.I felt shame in front of everyone.
- الْخَجَلُ لَيْسَ أَمْراً سَيِّئاً دَائِماً.al-khajalu laysa amran sayyi'an da'iman.Shame is not always a bad thing.
Example conversation
Nour is encouraging Ziad after he made a mistake during a presentation.
- نور Nourلَا تَشْعُرْ بِالْخَجَلِ يَا زِيَادُ.la tash'ur bil-khajali ya Ziyadu.Do not feel shame, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadلَقَدْ شَعَرْتُ بِالْخَجَلِ الشَّدِيدِ.laqad sha'artu bil-khajali al-shadid.I felt intense shame.
- نور Nourالْخَجَلُ يَمُرُّ وَتَتَعَلَّمُ مِنْهُ.al-khajalu yamurru wa tata'allamu minhu.The shame passes and you learn from it.
- زياد Ziadشُكْراً لَكِ يَا نُورُ.shukran laki ya Nuru.Thank you, Nour.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shame” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
