Learning a new language opens up many opportunities to express yourself. French, known as the language of love and culture, has several words for emotions. Understanding how to say “embarrassed” in French is useful when talking about feelings or apologizing for a mistake.
In this article, we’ll explore how to say “embarrassed” in French, its pronunciation, and ways to use it in sentences. You’ll also learn other ways to express similar feelings, how to respond, and practice exercises to help you master the word. By the end, you’ll feel ready to use this term in real conversations.
Ways to Say Embarrassed in French
There are several ways to express the feeling of being embarrassed in French, each suited to different situations. Here, we’ll explore these words with their pronunciation, meaning, and examples. This will help you confidently convey this emotion in French conversations.
1. Embarrassé(e)
Pronunciation: ahn-bah-rah-say
Meaning: Embarrassed or uncomfortable.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis embarrassé(e) par ma réponse. (I’m embarrassed by my answer.)
- Elle était embarrassée de son erreur. (She was embarrassed about her mistake.)
2. Gêné(e)
Pronunciation: zhay-nay
Meaning: Ashamed or uneasy.
In a Sentence:
- Il semblait gêné pendant le discours. (He seemed embarrassed during the speech.)
- Je suis gêné(e) de ne pas avoir répondu à temps. (I’m embarrassed for not replying on time.)
3. Mal à l’aise
Pronunciation: mahl ah lehz
Meaning: Ill at ease or uncomfortable.
In a Sentence:
- Elle était mal à l’aise devant la foule. (She was uncomfortable in front of the crowd.)
- Cet incident m’a mis mal à l’aise. (This incident made me uncomfortable.)
4. Confus(e)
Pronunciation: kon-fyooz
Meaning: Embarrassed, but also used for being confused.
In a Sentence:
- Il était confus après l’interruption. (He was embarrassed after the interruption.)
- Je me sens confuse à propos de la situation. (I feel embarrassed about the situation.)
5. Honteux / Honteuse
Pronunciation: on-teuh / on-teuhz
Meaning: Ashamed or deeply embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- Il est honteux de son comportement. (He is ashamed of his behavior.)
- Elle a ressenti une honteuse gêne. (She felt deeply embarrassed.)
6. Piteux / Piteuse
Pronunciation: pee-teuh / pee-teuhz
Meaning: Miserable or pathetic, often implying embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Son excuse était piteuse et maladroite. (His excuse was miserable and awkward.)
- Il se sentait piteux après son échec. (He felt embarrassed after his failure.)
7. Déconcerté(e)
Pronunciation: day-kon-sair-tay
Meaning: Taken aback or embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- J’étais déconcerté(e) par sa question. (I was embarrassed by his question.)
- Il a regardé, déconcerté, après sa chute. (He looked embarrassed after his fall.)
8. Troublé(e)
Pronunciation: troo-blay
Meaning: Disturbed or embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- Sa remarque m’a troublé(e). (Her comment embarrassed me.)
- Il semblait troublé devant l’assemblée. (He seemed embarrassed in front of the assembly.)
9. Embarrassant(e)
Pronunciation: ahn-bah-rah-sahn(t)
Meaning: Embarrassing (used to describe a situation).
In a Sentence:
- Cette situation est embarrassante. (This situation is embarrassing.)
- C’était un moment embarrassant pour tout le monde. (It was an embarrassing moment for everyone.)
10. Rouge de honte
Pronunciation: roozh duh ohnt
Meaning: Red with embarrassment or shame.
In a Sentence:
- Il était rouge de honte après sa maladresse. (He was red with embarrassment after his clumsiness.)
- Elle est devenue rouge de honte devant ses collègues. (She turned red with embarrassment in front of her colleagues.)
11. Maladroit(e)
Pronunciation: mah-lah-dwah(t)
Meaning: Clumsy, but can also imply being embarrassed due to clumsiness.
In a Sentence:
- Je me sentais maladroit(e) à ce moment-là. (I felt embarrassed at that moment.)
- Il a fait une remarque maladroite pendant le dîner. (He made an embarrassing remark during dinner.)
12. Perplexe
Pronunciation: pair-plex
Meaning: Perplexed or uneasy.
In a Sentence:
- Elle était perplexe après la question. (She was embarrassed after the question.)
- J’étais perplexe devant cette situation gênante. (I was embarrassed in front of this awkward situation.)
13. Confusionné(e)
Pronunciation: kon-fyoo-zho-nay
Meaning: In a state of embarrassment or confusion.
In a Sentence:
- Sa réponse m’a laissé(e) confusionné(e). (His response left me embarrassed.)
- Je suis confusionné(e) par ce malentendu. (I am embarrassed by this misunderstanding.)
14. Plein(e) de gêne
Pronunciation: plehn duh zhehn
Meaning: Full of embarrassment or awkwardness.
In a Sentence:
- Elle était pleine de gêne en racontant l’histoire. (She was full of embarrassment while telling the story.)
- Il est parti, plein de gêne, après l’incident. (He left, full of embarrassment, after the incident.)
15. Peiné(e)
Pronunciation: pay-nay
Meaning: Pained, sometimes used to express embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Elle semblait peinée par l’erreur. (She seemed embarrassed by the mistake.)
- J’étais peiné(e) de leur réaction. (I was embarrassed by their reaction.)
16. Mal dans sa peau
Pronunciation: mahl dahn sah poh
Meaning: Uncomfortable in one’s skin, often used to describe embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Il était mal dans sa peau après avoir oublié son discours. (He was embarrassed after forgetting his speech.)
- Elle se sentait mal dans sa peau devant ses amis. (She felt embarrassed in front of her friends.)
17. Décontenancé(e)
Pronunciation: day-kohn-teh-nahn-say
Meaning: Flustered or embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- Il était décontenancé par la question inattendue. (He was embarrassed by the unexpected question.)
- Elle semblait décontenancée après son erreur. (She seemed embarrassed after her mistake.)
18. Humilié(e)
Pronunciation: oo-mee-lyay
Meaning: Humiliated, often stronger than simple embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Il s’est senti humilié par les moqueries. (He felt humiliated by the teasing.)
- Elle était humiliée devant tout le monde. (She was humiliated in front of everyone.)
19. Malheureux / Malheureuse
Pronunciation: mahl-uh-reuh / mahl-uh-reuhz
Meaning: Unhappy, sometimes implying embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Il se sentait malheureux après avoir trébuché. (He felt embarrassed after tripping.)
- Elle était malheureuse de sa performance. (She was embarrassed about her performance.)
20. Déshonoré(e)
Pronunciation: day-zoh-no-ray
Meaning: Dishonored or deeply embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- Il s’est senti déshonoré par son comportement. (He felt deeply embarrassed by his behavior.)
- Elle était déshonorée par ses actions. (She was embarrassed by her actions.)
21. Attristé(e)
Pronunciation: ah-tree-stay
Meaning: Saddened, but can also imply a form of embarrassed regret.
In a Sentence:
- Il était attristé par sa réponse maladroite. (He was embarrassed by his clumsy response.)
- Elle semblait attristée après la scène. (She seemed embarrassed after the scene.)
22. Penaud / Penaude
Pronunciation: puh-noh / puh-nohd
Meaning: Sheepish, implying mild embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Il avait l’air penaud après son erreur. (He looked sheepish after his mistake.)
- Elle était penaude quand elle a dû s’excuser. (She was embarrassed when she had to apologize.)
23. Confondue
Pronunciation: kohn-fohn-dyuh
Meaning: Confused or embarrassed.
In a Sentence:
- Elle était confondue devant la classe. (She was embarrassed in front of the class.)
- J’étais confondue par son commentaire. (I was embarrassed by his comment.)
24. Étourdi(e)
Pronunciation: ay-toor-dee
Meaning: Dazed, can imply mild embarrassment due to a blunder.
In a Sentence:
- Il semblait étourdi après avoir oublié la date. (He seemed embarrassed after forgetting the date.)
- Elle était étourdie par sa propre confusion. (She was embarrassed by her own confusion.)
25. Perdu(e)
Pronunciation: pair-dyuh
Meaning: Lost, often used metaphorically to express embarrassment.
In a Sentence:
- Il se sentait perdu face à la situation gênante. (He felt embarrassed in the awkward situation.)
- Elle avait l’air perdue devant la foule. (She looked embarrassed in front of the crowd.)
Other Ways to Say Embarrassed in French
Below is a list of other expressions to say “embarrassed” in French. Each includes its pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences for better understanding.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Se sentir ridicule | suh sahn-teer ree-dee-kewl | To feel ridiculous | Il se sentait ridicule après son erreur. (He felt ridiculous after his mistake.)Elle s’est sentie ridicule devant ses amis. (She felt ridiculous in front of her friends.) |
| Avoir honte | ah-vwahr ohnt | To be ashamed | J’ai honte de ma réaction. (I am ashamed of my reaction.)Ils avaient honte de leurs actions. (They were embarrassed by their actions.) |
| Être mort de honte | eh-truh mohr duh ohnt | To be mortified | J’étais mort(e) de honte après cette situation. (I was mortified after that situation.)Elle semblait morte de honte après sa remarque. (She seemed mortified after her comment.) |
| Perdre la face | pair-druh lah fahss | To lose face | Il avait peur de perdre la face devant ses collègues. (He was afraid of losing face in front of his colleagues.)Elle a perdu la face pendant la réunion. (She lost face during the meeting.) |
| Se sentir gauche | suh sahn-teer gohsh | To feel awkward | Je me sentais gauche lors de cette fête. (I felt awkward at that party.)Il avait l’air gauche devant le public. (He looked awkward in front of the audience.) |
| Être confondu(e) | eh-truh kohn-fohn-dyuh | To be flustered or confused | Elle était confondue après avoir trébuché. (She was flustered after tripping.)Il semblait confondu par la question. (He seemed flustered by the question.) |
| Être troublé(e) | eh-truh troo-blay | To be troubled or embarrassed | J’étais troublé(e) par leur regard. (I was embarrassed by their stare.)Il était troublé par la situation. (He was troubled by the situation.) |
| Être pris au dépourvu | eh-truh pree oh day-poor-voo | To be caught off guard | Il a été pris au dépourvu par cette question. (He was caught off guard by that question.)Elle était prise au dépourvu par la remarque. (She was caught off guard by the remark.) |
| Sentir une gêne | sahn-teer ewn zhehn | To feel awkwardness | J’ai senti une gêne pendant la présentation. (I felt awkwardness during the presentation.)Il a exprimé une gêne évidente. (He expressed evident awkwardness.) |
| Être embarrassant(e) | eh-truh ahn-bah-rah-sahn(t) | To be embarrassing (situation) | Cette blague était embarrassante pour tout le monde. (That joke was embarrassing for everyone.)C’est embarrassant de ne pas savoir répondre. (It’s embarrassing not to know the answer.) |
Responses to “Embarrassed” in French
When someone expresses that they are embarrassed in French, responding appropriately can show empathy and understanding. Here are common responses to acknowledge or reassure someone who feels embarrassed.
1. Ce n’est rien
Pronunciation: suh neh ryehn
Meaning: It’s nothing.
In a Sentence:
- Ce n’est rien, ne t’inquiète pas. (It’s nothing, don’t worry.)
- Ne sois pas gêné(e), ce n’est rien. (Don’t feel embarrassed, it’s nothing.)
2. Ça arrive à tout le monde
Pronunciation: sah ah-reev ah too luh mohnd
Meaning: It happens to everyone.
In a Sentence:
- Ne t’en fais pas, ça arrive à tout le monde. (Don’t worry, it happens to everyone.)
- Ce genre de chose, ça arrive à tout le monde. (These things happen to everyone.)
3. Ce n’est pas grave
Pronunciation: suh neh pah grahv
Meaning: It’s not a big deal.
In a Sentence:
- Ce n’est pas grave, on peut corriger ça. (It’s not a big deal, we can fix it.)
- Ne sois pas confus(e), ce n’est pas grave. (Don’t be embarrassed, it’s not a big deal.)
4. Pas de souci
Pronunciation: pah duh soo-see
Meaning: No worries.
In a Sentence:
- Pas de souci, personne ne l’a remarqué. (No worries, no one noticed.)
- Ce n’était qu’une petite erreur, pas de souci. (It was just a small mistake, no worries.)
5. Tu n’as pas à avoir honte
Pronunciation: tew nah pah ah ah-vwahr ohnt
Meaning: You don’t need to be ashamed.
In a Sentence:
- Tu n’as pas à avoir honte, c’était un accident. (You don’t need to be ashamed; it was an accident.)
- Ne pense pas à ça, tu n’as pas à avoir honte. (Don’t think about it, you don’t need to be embarrassed.)
6. Ça va aller
Pronunciation: sah vah ah-lay
Meaning: It’ll be okay.
In a Sentence:
- Ne t’inquiète pas, ça va aller. (Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.)
- Même si tu te sens mal, ça va aller. (Even if you feel bad, it’ll be okay.)
7. Tout le monde fait des erreurs
Pronunciation: too luh mohnd feh dayz ay-ruhr
Meaning: Everyone makes mistakes.
In a Sentence:
- Tout le monde fait des erreurs, ce n’est pas grave. (Everyone makes mistakes; it’s not a big deal.)
- Ne t’inquiète pas, tout le monde fait des erreurs. (Don’t worry, everyone makes mistakes.)
8. Ce genre de choses arrive
Pronunciation: suh zhahr duh shohz ah-reev
Meaning: These kinds of things happen.
In a Sentence:
- Ce genre de choses arrive, ne sois pas gêné(e). (These kinds of things happen, don’t be embarrassed.)
- Ne t’inquiète pas, ce genre de choses arrive souvent. (Don’t worry, these kinds of things happen often.)
9. On ne t’en veut pas
Pronunciation: ohn nuh t’ahn vuh pah
Meaning: We don’t blame you.
In a Sentence:
- Ne sois pas confus(e), on ne t’en veut pas. (Don’t be embarrassed; we don’t blame you.)
- C’était une erreur honnête, on ne t’en veut pas. (It was an honest mistake; we don’t blame you.)
10. Reste calme
Pronunciation: rehst kahlm
Meaning: Stay calm.
In a Sentence:
- Reste calme, tout va bien. (Stay calm, everything is fine.)
- Même si tu te sens gêné(e), reste calme. (Even if you feel embarrassed, stay calm.)
Exercise to Practice Success with “Embarrassed” in French
Below is an exercise with 12 fill-in-the-blank sentences in French. Use the correct phrase for “embarrassed” from the previous sections to complete each sentence. The meaning of each sentence is provided to help you understand the context.
Fill in the Blanks
- Il était ________ après avoir renversé son verre. (He was embarrassed after spilling his glass.)
- Elle semblait ________ pendant le discours. (She seemed embarrassed during the speech.)
- Ne sois pas ________, tout le monde fait des erreurs. (Don’t be embarrassed; everyone makes mistakes.)
- J’étais ________ de poser une question si bête. (I was embarrassed to ask such a silly question.)
- Il a quitté la pièce, ________ de ses actions. (He left the room, embarrassed by his actions.)
- Après sa chute, elle est devenue rouge de ________. (After her fall, she turned red with embarrassment.)
- Il se sentait ________ devant ses collègues. (He felt embarrassed in front of his colleagues.)
- Elle a répondu d’une voix ________, sans regarder. (She answered in an embarrassed voice without looking.)
- Cet incident m’a mis ________ devant tout le monde. (This incident made me feel embarrassed in front of everyone.)
- Il avait peur de ________ la face après sa réponse. (He was afraid of losing face after his answer.)
- Je me suis senti ________ par la question inattendue. (I felt embarrassed by the unexpected question.)
- Ils étaient ________ de leurs erreurs. (They were embarrassed by their mistakes.)
Answers
- embarrassé(e)
- gêné(e)
- gêné(e)
- honteux / honteuse
- confus(e)
- honte
- mal à l’aise
- troublée
- mal dans ma peau
- perdre
- décontenancé(e)
- honteux / honteuses
Conclusion
Learning how to say “embarrassed” in French is a valuable step toward expressing emotions effectively in conversations. Whether you’re describing your own feelings or responding to someone else’s, these phrases and responses can help you communicate clearly and empathetically.
With practice, using these expressions will feel natural, and you’ll grow more confident in your ability to navigate different situations in French. Keep practicing and applying what you’ve learned to real-life conversations, and soon, you’ll master this aspect of the language.