Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 矜持 | jīnchí | |
| 含蓄 | hánxù | |
| 怕生 | pà shēng | verb |
In Chinese, the way you express being shy depends on whether you are describing a person's personality, a temporary social feeling or a specific fear of new people. While the terms provided in this guide focus on being 'reserved', the most common and direct way to express the general feeling of being shy is to use 害羞.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb 怕生 is composed of 怕 (to fear) and 生 (stranger/new), literally meaning 'to fear strangers'.
Which one should you use?
The forms provided differ in nuance: 矜持 describes a person who is reserved or maintains a certain distance, often implying a sense of dignity or self-restraint rather than social anxiety. 含蓄 is a positive way to describe someone who is reserved in their expression or emotions, often used for a subtle or understated personality. 怕生 is specifically used to describe someone, often a child, who is shy or fearful when meeting new people or strangers.
How does it change in a sentence?
怕生 functions as a verb.
How do you pronounce it?
jīnchí
Did you know?
- The character 矜 in 矜持 originally referred to a type of high-status clothing or a specific way of holding oneself with dignity.
- The term 矜持 can be used sarcastically to describe someone who is acting 'too proud' or playing hard to get in a romantic context.
- While 怕生 is commonly used for children, it can also be used to describe pets, such as a dog that is shy around new people.
Examples in context
- 她表现得很矜持。Tā biǎoxiàn de hěn jīnchí.She behaves in a very reserved manner.
- 他是一个矜持的人。Tā shì yí ge jīnchí de rén.He is a reserved person.
- 在公开场合，她总是很矜持。Zài gōngkāi chǎnghé, tā zǒngshì hěn jīnchí.She is always very reserved in public settings.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
