HSK · Level 85
45 words
Chinese word
难为情
Pronunciation
Pinyinnán wéi qíng
Meaning
- adjectiveembarrassed
Example
听了夸奖，我有点儿难为情。tīng le kuā jiǎng wǒ yóu diǎnr nán wéi qíng
After hearing the praise, I felt a little embarrassed.
More examples
她忘了别人的名字，立刻感到很难为情。tā wàng le bié rén de míng zì lì kè gǎn dào hěn nán wéi qíng
She forgot someone else's name and immediately felt very embarrassed.
Core concept
A person feels exposed and self-conscious when attention or praise makes a polite response feel difficult.
Common phrases
感到难为情gǎn dào nán wéi qíng
feel embarrassed
让人难为情ràng rén nán wéi qíng
make someone embarrassed
显得难为情xiǎn de nán wéi qíng
look embarrassed
Similar words
尴尬gān gà: Describing an uncomfortable social feeling caused by what is happening around someone.
不好意思bù hǎo yì si: Feeling embarrassed or sorry toward another person in a social exchange.
害羞hài xiū: Feeling bashful and uneasy because other people are watching.
Definition in Chinese
感到害羞、局促或不好意思，尤其是因被关注或被夸奖而心里不自在的形容词。gǎn dào hài xiū jú cù huò bù hǎo yì si yóu qí shì yīn bèi guān zhù huò bèi kuā jiǎng ér xīn lǐ bú zì zài de xíng róng cí
Word origin
The compound 难为 (nánwéi, "make someone feel awkward") + 情 (qíng, "feeling") names the feeling of being made uncomfortable in a social situation.
Usage tips
- After praise, this word can show modest discomfort while accepting the compliment, rather than suggesting that the speaker has done something wrong.