ngượng ngạo
Definition
- Adjective:
- Awkwardly embarrassed or self-conscious: Describes a state of feeling uncomfortable, shy, or bashful due to a social situation, often accompanied by a slight physical reaction like blushing or avoiding eye contact. It implies a mix of shame and shyness.
- Sheepish: Conveys a feeling of mild embarrassment, often due to a minor mistake or a feeling of being foolish.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Cô ấy cảm thấy rất ngượng ngạo khi bị nhắc nhở trước đám đông. (She felt very awkwardly embarrassed when being reprimanded in front of the crowd.)
- Cậu bé đứng ngượng ngạo sau lưng mẹ. (The boy stood sheepishly behind his mother.)
- Nụ cười ngượng ngạo của anh ấy lộ rõ sự bối rối. (His sheepish smile clearly showed his confusion.)
Advanced Usage
- The word often describes a temporary state of social discomfort rather than a deep, lasting shame. It is commonly used to describe one's own feelings or to observe someone else's visible discomfort in a gentle, sometimes sympathetic way.
Variants and Related Words
Ngượng (adj): Embarrassed, shy. A more common and slightly less intense synonym.
- Anh ta đỏ mặt vì ngượng. (He blushed from embarrassment.)
Ngượng nghịu (adj): Awkward, clumsy (often in actions or behavior due to shyness or inexperience).
- Chú chó con ngượng nghịu bước những bước đầu tiên. (The puppy awkwardly took its first steps.)
Synonyms
- Embarrassed: Feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable.
- Sheepish: Showing embarrassment from shame or foolishness.
- Bashful: Reluctant to draw attention to oneself; shy.
Related Idioms
- Ngượng chín cả mặt: (Lit: Embarrassed until the whole face ripens). To be extremely embarrassed, to blush deeply.
- Nghe lời khen, cô ấy ngượng chín cả mặt. (Hearing the compliment, she blushed deeply with embarrassment.)