Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Embarrassed: Feeling self-conscious, awkward, or ashamed, often due to a social situation or a mistake.
   • Confused / Puzzled: Feeling uncertain, perplexed, or unable to think clearly, often due to a complex problem or unexpected situation.
   • Flustered / Flurried: Being in a state of nervous or agitated confusion, often leading to a loss of composure.

2. Verb (To be bối rối):

   • To be embarrassed: To experience the state of embarrassment.
   • To be confused: To experience the state of confusion or puzzlement.
   • To be flustered: To become agitated and disoriented.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cô ấy cảm thấy rất bối rối khi bị chỉ trích trước đám đông. (She felt very embarrassed when criticized in front of the crowd.)
  • Câu hỏi bất ngờ khiến tôi bối rối. (The sudden question made me confused.)
  • Vẻ mặt bối rối của anh ấy lộ rõ. (His flustered expression was obvious.)

• Verb:

  • Đừng bối rối vì những lời nói đó. (Don't be embarrassed by those words.)
  • Tôi bối rối trước quá nhiều lựa chọn. (I am confused by too many choices.)

Advanced Usage

• "Làm bối rối": to embarrass, to confuse (someone).

  • Hành động của anh ta làm bối rối tất cả mọi người. (His actions embarrassed everyone.)

• "Sự bối rối" (noun): the state of embarrassment, confusion, or perplexity.

  • Sự bối rối của cậu bé thật rõ ràng. (The boy's confusion was evident.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lúng túng (adj/verb): to be flustered, to be in an awkward predicament. Often used interchangeably with bối rối, but can imply more physical awkwardness.

  • Anh ấy lúng túng tìm câu trả lời. (He was flustered searching for an answer.)

• Rối bời (adj): extremely confused, tangled, or chaotic (often describing thoughts or situations).

  • Suy nghĩ rối bời. (Tangled thoughts.)

Synonyms

• Embarrassed: ashamed, abashed, self-conscious.
• Confused: perplexed, bewildered, disoriented.
• Flustered: agitated, flurried, discomposed.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Lâm vào tình thế bối rối: to land in/into an embarrassing or perplexing situation.

  • Việc đến muộn khiến anh ta lâm vào tình thế bối rối. (Being late caused him to land in an embarrassing situation.)

• Bối rối như gà mắc tóc: to be extremely confused/flustered (idiomatic: "as confused as a chicken with tangled hair").

  • Cậu ấy bối rối như gà mắc tóc khi bị chất vấn. (He was extremely flustered when questioned.)

adj & verb

1. (To be) embarrassed, (to be) puzzled
   • vẻ mặt bối rối
     to look puzzled
   • lâm vào tình thế bối rối
     to land in an embarrassing situation