Meanings of 害羞
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Podcast: 害羞
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AI Study Notes for 害羞
内向 (nèixiàng) - use 害羞 when referring to temporary feelings of shyness, while 内向 describes a more permanent introverted personality trait.
Be careful not to confuse 害羞 with similar expressions like 尴尬 (gān gà), which means awkwardness. 害羞 is generally more informal and is commonly used among friends or in casual settings. Remember that the tone of the word is important; mispronouncing it can change its meaning.
As an HSK Level 4 word, 害羞 connects with other emotional adjectives like 开心 (kāi xīn - happy) and 难过 (nán guò - sad). Focus on using it in sentences that describe feelings or social interactions to reinforce its meaning.
Learners often confuse 害羞 with 惭愧 (cán kuì - ashamed), which has a stronger connotation of guilt. For example, saying '我感到害羞因为我做错了' (I feel shy because I did something wrong) is incorrect; it should be '我感到惭愧因为我做错了'.
Pronunciation of 害羞
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Component Characters
How to say shy in Chinese
“shy” in Chinese is害羞
The term 害羞 (hài xiū) describes a feeling of shyness or embarrassment often experienced in social situations. It can refer to both a temporary emotional state and a more enduring personality trait, commonly used to describe someone who is reserved or uncomfortable in expressing themselves in front of others.
When to use 害羞
Be careful not to confuse 害羞 with similar expressions like 尴尬 (gān gà), which means awkwardness. 害羞 is generally more informal and is commonly used among friends or in casual settings. Remember that the tone of the word is important; mispronouncing it can change its meaning.
害羞 or something close to it
内向 (nèixiàng) - use 害羞 when referring to temporary feelings of shyness, while 内向 describes a more permanent introverted personality trait.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 害羞 with 惭愧 (cán kuì - ashamed), which has a stronger connotation of guilt. For example, saying '我感到害羞因为我做错了' (I feel shy because I did something wrong) is incorrect; it should be '我感到惭愧因为我做错了'.
Write 害羞
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Practice writing 害羞 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 害羞
害羞 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
我算是朵墙花，因为我特别____。
I was something of a wallflower; I was terribly shy.
Example Sentences for 害羞 (5)
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Frequently Asked Questions about 害羞
You can say: '她很害羞，不喜欢在大庭广众中发言。' (She is very shy and doesn't like speaking in public.)
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