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How to Say "ashamed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

avergonzado

ah-ver-gon-SAH-doh/a.βeɾ.ɣonˈsa.ðo/

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'avergonzado' when describing the feeling of shame or guilt someone experiences due to their own actions or a situation.
A child is sitting alone on the floor, hunched over and hiding their face completely in their hands, conveying deep shame or embarrassment.

Examples

Me sentí muy avergonzado por mi error.

I felt very ashamed of my mistake.

Estaba muy avergonzado después de caerse frente a todos.

He was very embarrassed after falling in front of everyone.

Ella se sintió avergonzada por el comentario que hizo.

She felt ashamed of the comment she made.

Los niños se quedaron en silencio, avergonzados de su travesura.

The children stayed silent, embarrassed by their mischief.

Adjective Agreement

Since this is an adjective, you must change the ending to match the person or thing you are describing: 'avergonzada' (f), 'avergonzados' (m plural), 'avergonzadas' (f plural).

Mixing up the verbs

Mistake: “Soy avergonzado (Using 'ser')”

Correction: Estoy avergonzado (Using 'estar'). Feeling shame is a temporary emotional state, so you must use the verb 'estar' to describe it.

vergonzoso

vair-gohn-SOH-soh/beɾ.ɣonˈso.so/

AdjectiveA2General
Use 'vergonzoso' to describe a person who is naturally shy or timid, especially in social situations, rather than a specific feeling of shame.
A small, timid character partially hiding behind a large, bright green tree trunk, peeking out nervously with one eye.

Examples

El niño es muy vergonzoso y no quiere saludar.

The child is very shy and doesn't want to say hello.

Mi hijo es muy vergonzoso y no le gusta hablar en clase.

My son is very shy and doesn't like to speak in class.

Estaba tan vergonzosa que se puso roja.

She was so bashful/ashamed that she turned red.

Cuando le pregunté su nombre, se puso vergonzoso.

When I asked his name, he got shy/embarrassed.

Ser vs. Estar: Personality vs. Feeling

Use 'ser' (Ella es vergonzosa) to describe someone's shy personality. Use 'estar' (Él está vergonzoso) to describe that they are currently feeling ashamed or embarrassed about something.

Confusing 'Shy' and 'Shameful'

Mistake: “Using 'tímido' to describe a shameful event.”

Correction: Tímido only describes people who are shy. Use 'vergonzoso' for both the shy person AND the embarrassing event.

Avergonzado vs. Vergonzoso

The most common mistake is using 'vergonzoso' to describe a feeling of shame after an action. Remember, 'avergonzado' is for personal feelings of shame or embarrassment, while 'vergonzoso' describes a person's shy or timid personality.

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