恥
haji[ha̠ʑi]
The English word 'shame' can be expressed in Japanese as 恥 (haji), the default form. Wiktionary also lists 羞恥心 (shūchishin) and 面汚し (tsurayogoshi).
Meaning: uncomfortable or painful feeling (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 恥 | haji | [ha̠ʑi] (narrow) |
| 羞恥心 | shūchishin | [ɕɨːt͡ɕiɕĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 面汚し | tsurayogoshi |
恥 refers to the uncomfortable or painful feeling of shame. To express the related verbs 'to cause to feel shame', you can use 侮辱する or 恥をかかせる.
Which one should you use?
While 恥 (haji) refers to the feeling of shame itself, 羞恥心 (shūchishin) refers more specifically to the psychological 'sense' or 'consciousness' of shame.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
haji
Did you know?
- The term 面汚し (tsura kegashi) is a much more aggressive way to label someone, essentially calling them a 'stain on the face' of their group or family.
- The kanji for 恥 (haji) contains the radical for 'heart' (心) at the bottom, visually suggesting that shame is an emotion rooted in the core of one's being.
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 恥 is often directed outward toward the group rather than inward toward the self, focusing on one's failure to meet social expectations.
Examples in context
- この恥知らず！Shame on you!This sentence uses 恥 to express a strong rebuke.Tatoeba #1284074 by bunbuku, translation #277287 by CK
- 嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやらで、彼女は耳まで赤くなった。What with joy and shame, she blushed to the ears.This sentence uses 恥 to describe a physical reaction to mixed emotions.Tatoeba #183492 by bunbuku, translation #20615 by SadeN
- 恥を知れ！Shame on you.This sentence uses 恥 as a command to someone to feel shame.Tatoeba #126802 by bunbuku, translation #2649236 by CK
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are talking about a mistake Kenta made at work.
- 健太 Kentaみんなの前で失敗して、本当に恥だ。Minna no mae de shippai shite, hontō ni haji da.It's truly a shame that I failed in front of everyone.
- 陽葵 Himariそんなに気にしなくていいよ、健太。Sonna ni ki ni shinakute ii yo, Kenta.You don't have to worry about it that much, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaでも、恥ずかしさで顔から火が出そうだよ。Demo, hazukashisa de kao kara hi ga desō da yo.But I'm so ashamed my face feels like it's on fire.
- 陽葵 Himari誰にでも間違いはあるから大丈夫。Dare ni demo machigai wa aru kara daijōbu.Everyone makes mistakes, so it's okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shame” translations and entries 恥, 羞恥心, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
