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N4Lesson notes · Oct 2, 2026

Embarrassed in Japanese: 恥はずかしい, 照てれる, 気きまずい and When to Use Each

"Embarrassed" in Japanese is most often 恥はずかしい (hazukashii) — but that one word also covers "shy," "ashamed," and "that's embarrassing," so the other words (照てれる, 気きまずい, 恥はじをかく) exist to say which kind of embarrassed you mean.

English splits this feeling across several words: embarrassed, shy, ashamed, flustered, awkward, humiliated. Japanese uses 恥はずかしい for the whole inner area and then adds specific words at the edges. If you learn the center first and the edges second, you will sound natural fast.

The basics

What does 恥はずかしい mean?

恥はずかしい is the all-purpose word for the hot, want-to-hide feeling you get when you are exposed, noticed, or have done something that feels small or silly. It is built from the noun 恥はじ (haji, shame, disgrace), and it is an い-adjective.

恥はずかしい。 — I'm embarrassed. (plain, to yourself or a friend) みんなの前まえで転ころんで、すごく恥はずかしかった。 — I fell in front of everyone and was so embarrassed. (past tense: 恥はずかしかった) 恥はずかしいから、あまり見みないで。 — I'm embarrassed, so don't look so much. (casual, to someone close)

Notice that the feeling is stated about yourself with no subject. Japanese rarely says 私わたしは. A bare 恥はずかしい already means "I feel embarrassed."

Is 恥はずかしい also "shy"?

Yes, and this is the part that surprises people. When the situation is meeting someone new, speaking up, or being looked at, 恥はずかしい is the natural word for "I feel shy" too.

人前ひとまえで話はなすのは恥はずかしい。 — I'm shy about speaking in front of people. (casual, general feeling) 自己紹介じこしょうかいが恥はずかしくて、声こえが小ちいさくなった。 — I was too shy to introduce myself and my voice got small. (describing a moment)

For a person who is shy by personality, Japanese uses a different noun: 恥はずかしがり屋や (hazukashigariya, "a shy person"). The question "are you shy?" is more naturally 恥はずかしがり屋やですか than あなたは恥はずかしいですか, which would sound like "are you embarrassing?" For more personality words in this style, see our guide to Japanese personality adjectives.

How do you say it politely?

Add です. That is the entire change.

ちょっと恥はずかしいです。 — I'm a little embarrassed. (polite, safe with anyone) お恥はずかしいところをお見みせしました。 — Forgive me for letting you see that embarrassing side. (formal, apologizing after a slip in front of a client)

The お in お恥はずかしい turns it into a humble, softened expression. You will hear it at work and read it in business emails.

Quick map of the words

Word Closest English Core idea
恥はずかしい embarrassed / shy / ashamed Exposed to others' eyes
照てれる / 照てれくさい flustered, bashful Pleasantly awkward from praise or affection
気きまずい awkward The atmosphere between people is stiff
恥はじをかく to lose face, be humiliated A real public failure
赤面せきめんする to blush The physical reaction
穴あながあったら入はいりたい wish the ground would swallow me Idiom for extreme embarrassment

Beyond the basics

What is 照てれる, and how is it different from 恥はずかしい?

照てれる (tereru) is embarrassment with a sweet edge. You get 照てれる when someone compliments you, confesses to you, or does something affectionate. The feeling is warm, not painful. 恥はずかしい is neutral to negative; 照てれる is usually mixed with happiness.

ほめられて、ちょっと照てれた。 — I got praised and felt a bit bashful. (casual, pleased) そんなこと言いわれると照てれるな。 — You say things like that and I get all flustered. (casual, spoken, a male-leaning ending) 彼女かのじょは照てれて、何なにも言いえなかった。 — She was so flustered she couldn't say anything. (narrating a third person)

照てれくさい (terekusai) is the adjective form and means "feeling sheepish about something affectionate or sincere." It is the word for saying "I love you" to your parents, or reading your own heartfelt message out loud.

親おやに感謝かんしゃを伝つたえるのは、なんだか照てれくさい。 — It feels kind of awkward-sweet to thank my parents. (casual)

A useful test: if you could smile while feeling it, it's 照てれる. If you want to disappear, it's 恥はずかしい.

What is 気きまずい, and why isn't it "embarrassed"?

気きまずい (kimazui) describes an atmosphere between people, not your private blush. A silence after an argument, running into an ex, or knowing a secret you shouldn't know: that is 気きまずい. You can feel embarrassed (恥はずかしい) alone; 気きまずい always needs another person in the room.

元もとカレに会あって、気きまずかった。 — I ran into my ex and it was awkward. (casual) エレベーターで上司じょうしと二人ふたりきりで、気きまずい。 — I'm alone in the elevator with my boss and it's awkward. (casual, thinking out loud)

If you want the full comparison with a close word, see 気きまずい vs 微妙びみょう.

What is 恥はじをかく?

恥はじをかく (haji o kaku) means "to be put to shame" or "to lose face" — a public mistake that you can't take back. The verb かく here is 掻かく, the same かく as in 汗あせをかく ("to sweat") — it means "to end up with" something unwanted, not "to write." It is stronger than 恥はずかしい because it names the event, not just the feeling.

会議かいぎでまちがいを指摘してきされて、恥はじをかいた。 — I had my mistake pointed out in the meeting and was humiliated. (spoken, past tense) 恥はじをかかせないでください。 — Please don't make me lose face. (polite, a serious request) 知しらない人ひとに恥はじをかかせてしまった。 — I ended up embarrassing a stranger publicly. (someone else is the one embarrassed)

The pattern 恥はじをかかせる ("to cause someone to lose face") matters a lot in Japanese social life. It is much heavier than the English "I embarrassed you." If you are the one too ashamed to face a particular person, the idiom is 合あわせる顔かおがない, and face in Japanese shows it in 失敗しっぱいして、先生せんせいに合あわせる顔かおがない, said by someone who failed and cannot face their teacher.

What about 恥はずかしながら?

恥はずかしながら (hazukashinagara) means "I'm embarrassed to say" and is a humble opener for admitting something about yourself.

恥はずかしながら、まだ免許めんきょを持もっていません。 — I'm embarrassed to say I still don't have a license. (polite, a modest admission) お恥はずかしながら、勉強不足べんきょうぶそくでした。 — To my shame, I hadn't studied enough. (formal, business)

It is a softener, not a confession of deep shame. Speakers use it to make an awkward admission feel lighter.

How do you say "blush"?

赤面せきめんする (sekimen suru) is the formal or written verb for blushing. In daily speech people say 顔かおが赤あかくなる ("my face turns red").

顔かおが赤あかくなってるよ。 — Your face is turning red. (casual, teasing) 彼かれは赤面せきめんして、うつむいた。 — He blushed and looked down. (narration, a novel's style)

There is also the vivid phrase 顔かおから火ひが出でる (kao kara hi ga deru), "fire comes out of my face," for the kind of embarrassment where your whole face burns.

What is 穴あながあったら入はいりたい?

This is the famous idiom: "If there were a hole, I'd want to climb into it." It is the Japanese version of "I wanted the ground to swallow me."

スピーチで名前なまえを言いいまちがえて、穴あながあったら入はいりたかった。 — I got my own name wrong in the speech and wanted the ground to swallow me. (spoken, humorous exaggeration)

Use it for big, dramatic embarrassment, usually with a laugh. For more idioms of this kind, our guide to Japanese idioms (慣用句かんようく) collects more body-and-feeling expressions.

How do you describe someone else being embarrassed?

Japanese is careful about whose feelings you can state as fact. You can say 恥はずかしい about yourself, but about another person, you usually need a softener, because you can't see inside their head.

彼女かのじょは恥はずかしそうにしていた。 — She looked embarrassed. (narration, based on what you saw) あの子こ、恥はずかしがってるね。 — That kid's being shy, isn't he? (casual, spoken, noticing a behavior)

The two main tools are 恥はずかしそう (looks embarrassed, based on appearance) and 恥はずかしがる (acts embarrassed, a verb for visible behavior). The first one uses the same そう as in そうです: looks like vs I heard, attached to the stem: 恥はずかし + そう.

Can 恥はずかしい mean "that's shameful"?

Yes, and here you need care. When you point 恥はずかしい at someone else's behavior, it becomes a judgment: "that's embarrassing, you should be ashamed."

そんなことをして、恥はずかしくないの? — Aren't you ashamed of doing something like that? (accusing, can be harsh) こんなミスは恥はずかしいよ。 — A mistake like this is embarrassing, you know. (a boss or senior scolding) 恥はじを知しれ。 — Have some shame. (very strong, almost an insult)

Compare 恥はずかしい said about yourself (soft, shows humility) with 恥はずかしい said to others (heavy, often a rebuke). If a friend tells you あなた、恥はずかしいよ, it is not a compliment on being cute and shy; they are saying your behavior is an embarrassment.

How does it sound in anime and casual speech?

In anime, a blushing character will often say 恥はずかしい… with a trailing breath and a hand over the face. The pause is the point: the ellipsis is the blush. The casual short form is はずい (hazui), slangy and youthful.

は、恥はずかしい…! — I-I'm embarrassed...! (stammer, classic anime blush) もう、はずいから見みないで! — Ugh, it's embarrassing, don't look! (young, casual slang) 照てれてるの? — Are you flustered? (teasing, usually to someone close) 照てれてない! — I'm not flustered! (the classic embarrassed denial)

照てれてる? is the standard teasing line. When someone answers 照てれてない with a red face, everyone knows the answer. Watch for this pairing; it appears in almost every romance scene.

Common mistakes

  • Using 恥はずかしい for every awkward moment. If the problem is the mood between two people, say 気きまずい. If you made a public mistake, 恥はじをかいた is more exact.
  • Saying あなたは恥はずかしい to ask "are you shy?" It sounds like you're calling the person shameful. Use 恥はずかしがり屋やですか instead.
  • Stating another person's feeling as fact. 彼かれは恥はずかしい sounds like "he is an embarrassment." Say 恥はずかしそう or 恥はずかしがっている.
  • Mixing up 照てれる and 恥はずかしい. 照てれる is a pleasant bashfulness, usually after praise. Using it for a painful failure sounds off.
  • Forgetting that 恥はじをかく takes を. It is 恥はじをかく, and the past is 恥はじをかいた, not 恥はじがかいた.

Practice

Try each one before opening the answer. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair, as are 5 and 6.

1. Say "I'm a little embarrassed" politely.

Show answer

ちょっと恥はずかしいです — 恥はずかしい is an い-adjective, so adding です makes it polite.

2. Someone compliments your cooking and you feel happy but bashful. Which word fits: 恥はずかしい or 照てれる?

Show answer

照てれる — it is the warm, pleased kind of embarrassment that comes from praise. 恥はずかしい would also be understandable, but 照てれる names the sweetness.

3. You run into your ex and neither of you knows what to say. Which word describes it?

Show answer

気きまずい — the stiffness is in the atmosphere between two people. This is the pair to question 4.

4. You trip alone on an empty street and feel your face go hot. Which word describes it?

Show answer

恥はずかしい — it's a private feeling that needs no one else in the room. 気きまずい would be wrong here, because it needs another person.

5. How do you say "I'm shy" about yourself as a general personality trait?

Show answer

恥はずかしがり屋やです — 恥はずかしがり屋や is a noun for a shy person. Saying 恥はずかしいです only describes how you feel right now.

6. What does あなたは恥はずかしい mean if you say it to a friend?

Show answer

"You are an embarrassment." — aimed at another person, 恥はずかしい is a judgment, not "are you shy?" This is the contrast to question 5.

7. Describe a girl who looks embarrassed, based only on what you can see.

Show answer

彼女かのじょは恥はずかしそうだ — そう attached to the stem 恥はずかし marks an impression from appearance, which is how Japanese describes a third person's feelings.

8. What is the difference in meaning between 恥はずかしい and 恥はじをかく?

Show answer

恥はずかしい names a feeling; 恥はじをかく names an event. 恥はじをかく means a public failure that costs you face, so it is heavier.

9. Which idiom means "I wish the ground would swallow me"?

Show answer

穴あながあったら入はいりたい — literally "if there were a hole, I'd want to go into it," used for dramatic embarrassment.

10. Someone teases you with 照てれてるの? and you want the classic denial. What do you say?

Show answer

照てれてない! — it is the standard reply, said with a red face. The denial itself is the joke.

During a trial lesson, retell an embarrassing moment and choose between 恥はずかしい, 照てれる and 気きまずい for how it felt.

FAQ

What is the single best word for "embarrassed" in Japanese? 恥はずかしい. It is the safe default in speech and writing, and you can make it polite with です.

Is 恥はずかしい the same as "shy"? Often yes, for a moment of feeling shy. For a shy personality, use 恥はずかしがり屋や instead.

What does はずい mean? It is a slangy shortening of 恥はずかしい, used mostly by young people with friends. Avoid it in polite settings.

How is 照てれる different from 恥はずかしい? 照てれる is a pleasant bashfulness, usually from praise or affection. 恥はずかしい is a wider and more neutral word that includes unpleasant shame.

Can I say 恥はずかしい to refuse something? You can say 恥はずかしいので… to decline softly, such as when asked to sing or speak in public. It signals "please don't make me," and people usually understand.

Is 恥はじ a bad word? No, 恥はじ simply means shame or disgrace. But 恥はじを知しれ and 恥はずかしくないの? are harsh when aimed at people, so use them carefully.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab.

恥ずかしい	はずかしい — embarrassed, shy, ashamed
恥	はじ — shame, disgrace
照れる	てれる — to be bashful, flustered
照れくさい	てれくさい — sheepish, bashful
気まずい	きまずい — awkward (atmosphere)
恥をかく	はじをかく — to lose face, be humiliated
恥ずかしながら	はずかしながら — I'm embarrassed to say
赤面する	せきめんする — to blush
顔が赤くなる	かおがあかくなる — one's face turns red
穴があったら入りたい	あながあったらはいりたい — wish the ground would swallow me
恥ずかしそう	はずかしそう — looks embarrassed
恥ずかしがる	はずかしがる — to act shy, act embarrassed
恥ずかしがり屋	はずかしがりや — a shy person
はずい	はずい — embarrassing (slang)

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard students ask about — including this one, since 恥はずかしい and 照てれる get mixed up early and often. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N4 · Read something at this level: JLPT N4 stories with audio

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