害羞 (hài xiū) — shy; bashful; embarrassed

Definition

害羞 (hài xiū) is the everyday word for 'shy' – feeling nervous or timid around others. 腼腆 (miǎn tiǎn) is a more formal, literary synonym describing a naturally bashful personality. 难为情 (nán wéi qíng) focuses on feeling embarrassed or awkward in a specific situation, not general shyness.

adjective

shybashfulembarrassed

Examples

害羞。
Tā jiàn dào mòshēngrén hěn hài xiū.
She is very shy when meeting strangers.
害羞，。
Bié hài xiū, dàshēng shuō chūlái ba.
Don't be shy, just say it out loud.
。
Tā yīnwèi hàixiū liǎn hóng le qǐlai.
His face turned red because he was shy.

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