Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| засте́нчивый | zasténčivyj |
| стесни́тельный | stesnítelʹnyj |
| стыдли́вый | stydlívyj |
| ро́бкий | róbkij |
| несме́лый | nesmélyj |
Russian uses different adjectives to describe various nuances of being shy, ranging from social awkwardness to a lack of courage or a sense of modesty.
Which one should you use?
While there are many options, they carry different connotations: стесни́тельный is the most common and neutral way to describe a person who is shy or easily embarrassed. ро́бкий implies a lack of courage or confidence, often used for someone who is timid in the face of danger or social interaction. несме́лый literally means 'not bold' and is often used to describe children or people who lack the nerve to act. Finally, стыдли́вый focuses more on the feeling of shame or modesty rather than just social awkwardness.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective стесни́тельный changes its form depending on the gender and case of the noun it describes. For example, it becomes стесни́тельная when describing a female subject and takes the form стесни́тельного in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
zasténčivyj
Did you know?
- The word засте́нчивый comes from the word сте́на, meaning 'wall'. It literally evokes the image of someone hiding behind a wall to avoid being seen.
- The word стесни́тельный shares a root with те́сно, which means 'tight' or 'cramped'. Being shy is linguistically linked to the feeling of being squeezed or having no room to move.
- Russian has a specific word застенчи́вость for the quality of shyness, but you will often hear the phrase скромня́га to describe a 'shy person' in a fond or slightly teasing way.
Examples in context
- Эта девушка очень стеснительная.This girl is very shy.
- Моя подруга слишком застенчивчивая, чтобы заговорить с незнакомцами.My friend is too shy to speak to strangers.
Example conversation
Andrey and Olga are discussing a new colleague.
- Андрей AndreyКто этот новый сотрудник?Kto etot novyy sotrudnik?Who is this new employee?
- Ольга OlgaЕго зовут Игорь, он немного засте́нчивый.Yego zovut Igor, on nemnogo zastenchivyy.His name is Igor, he is a bit shy.
- Андрей AndreyОн совсем не разговаривает с нами.On sovsem ne razgovarivayet s nami.He doesn't talk to us at all.
- Ольга OlgaПросто дай ему немного времени.Prosto day emu nemnogo vremeni.Just give him some time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
