honte
/ɔ̃t/feminine
The English word shame is translated into French as honte.
honte is a feminine noun referring to an uncomfortable or painful feeling. While the noun is honte, you may also encounter the related verb honnir, which means to cover with reproach or ignominy.
Meaning: uncomfortable or painful feeling (noun)
Which one should you use?
If you wish to use an adjective to describe a person or an action that is shameful, you would use honteux. Additionally, in formal situations, the word embarras can be used to convey a sense of shame.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In common speech, when you want to say you are ashamed, you do not say you 'are' shame (être honteux). Instead, you say that you 'have' shame by using the phrase avoir honte.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔ̃t/
Did you know?
- In some French idioms, honte is used to describe things that are not actually shameful but are simply poor in quality. A 'shameful' result in a game might just be a very bad one.
- The root of honte traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root kaw-, which meant 'to be evil' or 'make evil'. This suggests that the concept of shame was originally linked to malevolence.
Examples in context
- Honte à toi !Shame on you!This sentence is useful for expressing 'Shame on you!' using honte.Tatoeba #129318 by Rovo, translation #277287 by CK
- Tu n'as pas honte.You have no shame.This sentence is useful for saying 'You have no shame' using honte.Tatoeba #10602442 by Dr_herr, translation #6042717 by mailohilohi
- Elle rougit de honte.She blushed with shame.This sentence is useful for describing someone blushing with shame using honte.Tatoeba #138625 by Micsmithel, translation #311960 by Eldad
- Je ressens une profonde honte pour mes actions.I feel deep shame for my actions.
- J'ai fait une erreur qui me rend honteux .I made a mistake that makes me feel ashamed.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about a mistake Lucas made at work.
- LucasJ'ai fait une erreur, j'ai trop honte.I made a mistake, I'm so ashamed.
- EmmaPourquoi as-tu honte, Lucas ?Why are you ashamed, Lucas?
- LucasTout le monde a vu mon erreur.Everyone saw my mistake.
- EmmaNe ressens pas de honte pour ça.Don't feel any shame for that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shame” translations and entries honte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries honte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
