恥ずかしがり屋
hazukashigari-ya[ha̠zɨka̠ɕiɡa̠ɾʲija̠]
The English phrase "shy person" is translated into Japanese as 恥ずかしがり屋 (hazukashigari-ya).
恥ずかしがり屋 is used to describe a personality trait or a tendency to be easily embarrassed in social situations, such as when meeting or talking to other people.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, 恥ずかしがり屋 can be used with the copula だ or です to mean "is a shy person."
How do you pronounce it?
hazukashigari-ya
Did you know?
- The suffix 屋 in 恥ずかしがり屋 usually means 'shop' or 'store'. When attached to a personality trait, it transforms the adjective into a noun describing someone who 'specializes' in that behavior.
- In Japanese culture, being a 恥ずかしがり屋 is often viewed more as a gentle, endearing trait of modesty rather than a social deficit or a problem to be cured.
- To describe someone who is 'socially awkward' rather than just 'shy', Japanese speakers might use the term コミュ障 ('komyushō'), which is a slang abbreviation for a communication disorder.
Examples in context
- トムは恥ずかしがり屋だ。Tom is a shy person.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 恥ずかしがり屋 with the copula to identify someone as a shy person.Tatoeba #12817007 by small_snow, translation #12817006 by CK
- 妹は少し恥ずかしがり屋です。Imōto wa sukoshi hazukashigariya desu.My younger sister is a bit of a shy person.
- 彼は恥ずかしがり屋なので、あまり話しません。Kare wa hazukashigariya na node, amari hanashimasen.He is a shy person, so he doesn't talk much.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are discussing a new colleague at work.
- 蓮 Ren新しい同僚は、どんな人ですか？Atarashii dōryō wa, donna hito desu ka?What kind of person is the new colleague?
- 結衣 Yui少し恥ずかしがり屋みたいですよ。Sukoshi hazukashigariya mitai desu yo.She seems to be a bit of a shy person.
- 蓮 Renそうですか。優しそうな女性ですね。Sō desu ka. Yasashisō na josei desu ne.Is that so? She sounds like a kind woman.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、とても穏やかです。Hai, totemo odayaka desu.Yes, she is very calm.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 恥ずかしがり屋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
